The Knight and The Witch
by SakuraDrops93
Summary: What started as a harmless childhood game carries on to their older lives and soon, Roxas realizes the depth of his words from 10 years ago. These teens' roles unfold into a twisted play that no one had any intention of setting in motion. Is it curtain call for their friendship? Or does it need to be rewritten to birth new relationships? RoxasxNaminexSoraxKairi AU
1. Our First Game

**The Knight and the Witch**

 _A Kingdom Hearts Fanfiction_

 _(Main) RoxasxNamine & other pairings involved_

The afternoon sunlight graced Twilight Mansion with its presence. While its recluse master kept hidden in his study, four distinct kids, each around 6-7 years old, sat in a line while a fifth rhythmically pointed his finger at each of their heads. He spun on his heel, nearly tripping as he went on chanting, "Who's the dragon? Who's the witch? Who's the knight and princess or the prince?" His blue eyes glimmered mischievously as each of his friends looked to him in anticipation. Then, with a triumphant laugh, he drew a proud thumb to his chest and exclaimed, "I'm the prince! And Kairi's the princess!"

The rest, aside from the burgundy-haired girl who giggled excitedly, groaned in frustration. "Sora!" the silver-haired boy stood and scolded, "You can't just pick yourself to be the prince. You're ALWAYS the prince! I want a turn, too!"

"Too bad," Sora laughed, "I'm the prince until you beat me, Riku."

"Then what am I, huh?" Riku grumbled.

Kairi quickly jumped to her feet and then onto Riku's back, cheering, "Riku's the dragon! He's tall and scary! Wooooo, rawwwwwr!"

Riku turned to her, flabbergasted. "The _DRAGON?!"_

"Okay!" Sora grinned.

"Hey! You're too quick in agreeing with shorty here!" Riku was about to make another remark, but Kairi pressed her full weight forward and face-planted him onto the matted floor. She stuck her tongue out at him and then ran over to Sora's side.

The two blondes in the group sighed, dreading their already-obvious titles. The one with messy, dirty blonde hair was the next to stand, rubbing the back of his neck. "Guess I'm the knight this round," Roxas shrugged. He then smiled to himself. "Not that I'm complaining." His eyes looked over the smaller blonde's downcast form. "You okay, Namine?"

"Hm..." Namine hummed sadly, her messy platinum blonde pigtails falling over her shoulders as she, too, stood to her feet. "I'm a witch...again."

"What's wrong with the witch?" Sora rose an eyebrow at her. "You get to make magic and do cool stuff. And you get Snoofles!" He ran to their short desk where a beaten black cat plushie sat and threw said plushie to Namine. She caught it half halfheartedly. "You can throw him at the dragon as a defense spell!"

"That's...not how cats work..." Riku grumbled again, "And cats aren't spells, you noob."

"What did you call me?!" Sora leaped at him, but Riku suavely shifted out of his grasp. His face met the floor, just as his friend's did earlier.

Riku stuck his tongue out at Sora and laughed, "Like I said- a noob!" He spotted the mountain of pillows, threw on his red blankie for a cape, and grabbed Kairi before climbing his cushion fortress. Finally, he threw his head back and let out a loud cackle. "Well, prince? Let's see you try to save your little princess, now!"

Kairi pouted. "I am NOT little! Sora, get him! He's bullying me again."

"I'll save you, Kairi!" Sora assured her, earning himself a bright smile from her. "But first, I must recruit this knight!" He pointed his balloon sword at Roxas who looked at him with curious eyes. "And together, he and I must defeat the evil witch and _then_ the dragon! C'mmon, Roxas, let's go."

Namine winced slightly at her description. "But that's..." she sighed, knowing that once Sora got into character, there was no snapping him out of it until he was really defeated in combat. Snoofles' button eyes looked back at her as though pleading her to say something anyway. "...b-b-ut...um...Sora, I..I want to be the princess this time!" Roxas blinked in surprise at the small girl's outburst. As he watched carefully, he noticed a slight tint of pink spread across her face and to the tips of her ears. She was trembling. Sighing, he glanced at Sora. The brunette looked listless, completely oblivious to Namine's feelings.

"Look, Namine," Sora reasoned, "It's my turn and I want Kairi to be the princess. I just like to play with her as princess more."

Riku nearly choked while Kairi played with her hair, unaware of what was just said. "So honest," he nearly chuckled but then lost his humor upon seeing Namine's devastated face. "...hey, Sora, maybe you should-"

"Too bad, Sora," Roxas cut in. He stepped in between Namine and Sora and brushed aside Sora's balloon sword with his own. "This knight isn't saving any princesses with you. I'm siding with the witch." He pointed his toy at Sora's shocked face and smiled back at Namine who looked at him with wide blue eyes and a pink face. "Besides, didn't anyone tell you? This witch isn't jealous of the princess. She's super powerful as she is!" Sora, Riku, Kairi, and even Namine looked at him questioningly, wondering where he was going with his little lore thought up from nowhere. Realizing that he himself had no idea what he was saying, Roxas mentally smacked himself. "She just...uh...um." He heard Namine sigh behind him and finally said, "She...she needs the prince's kiss to get his power also...and then rule the world!" He spread his arms apart proudly at his proclamation. Sora and Kairi blushed in return and Riku lost all control over his laughter.

Namine grabbed Roxas' arm, now blushing furiously. "Roxas!" she squeaked, "That's too embarrassing!" She found that she could no longer meet Sora's eyes at this moment, feeling them burn into her and her supposed knight ally.

Seeming to have already forgotten the remark, Sora brought his sword down with a jump. "Traitor!" he cried, "I'll take you both down then!" Roxas blocked Sora's attack and spun-struck his brother, knocking him back. Sora wiped a small dirt smudge from his nose and huffed. "Roxas, you're my brother! Why?"

Roxas smirked. "Because I'm a knight," he answered simply, "And I protect people."

"PRINCESSES," Sora corrected his sibling, "PRINCES- ROYALTY! Not the bad guys!"

Roxas directed a thumb at Namine. "You have your princess, I have my witch." He fought against his reddening cheeks and readied his balloon sword once more. "I believe in Namine. She'll get her kiss and, if she wishes hard enough, will one day turn into a princess, too."

"Whoa..." Namine stared at Roxas in wonder. Maybe, just maybe...

"The princess of darkness!" Roxas clarified valiantly.

Namine cringed. Never mind.

"Did everyone just forget about the main bad guy here?" Riku voiced himself, feeling slightly left out by the sibling rivalry. He looked to Sora and Roxas, ineffectively catching either one's attention. Annoyed, he picked up one of the pillows and hurled it right onto Sora's head, knocking him off his feet. "Hey, noob! This _DRAGON_ is about to burn your precious princess to a crisp!" He grabbed Kairi's shoulders and made some loud hissing sounds, making her squeal.

"Kairi, no!" Sora called to her.

Namine jumped to Roxas' side and held out her cat plushie. "Until I get it...my kiss..." she breathed nervously and looked up at Riku and Kairi with newfound determination. "Kairi, I'll save you! So we can be princesses together!"

Kairi looked back at the blonde girl and giggled, "Sure, Namine! I'd really like that."

"Yuck! I'm not kissing any girls," Sora reasoned, "Even if I do think Kairi is pretty." Namine's words then sank in and that brought him quickly to his feet. "Hey, Namine! That's not how this game goes! Quit un-playing your roles! Ah!" Roxas' balloon made contact with his nose again. He sent a glare his brother's way.

Hitting his sword against his own shoulder, Roxas chuckled. "Quit whining and just play, you nerd." For a moment, his eyes wandered to Namine again. However, her gaze lingered longingly on Sora who kept restlessly looking between his traitorous brother and the captive Kairi. A sad smile tugged on the blonde boy's lips.


	2. Our Feelings that Missed

**The Knight and the Witch**

 _A Kingdom Hearts Fanfiction_

 _Hey... Roxas! Dude! ...damn, he's not waking up. Xion, ready the flowers...I think he's passed on._

 _Stop it, Axel! Maybe give him a good smack across the head or something?_

 _Hell no! Do you know how hard this trollop hits? Not to mention he's a total grouch in the morning. I do NOT want any of that. My face is too beautiful to be tainted by a fist._

 _...oh my god. Axel, get over yourself. Heeeey, Roxas! Wake up already!_

Roxas grunted as something semi-hard struck his forehead. Heavy eyelids fluttered to reveal glazed sapphire eyes looking straight at two teenagers sitting at the foot of his bed. One was a taller male with bright red hair and striking emerald eyes. His female companion had dark, short layered hair and fair skin and also looked rather miffed for some reason. Yawning, Roxas sat up and rubbed his forehead. "Ow, Xion," he groaned, "What was that for? I was still asleep you know." He shot her an annoyed look before falling back down on his pillows.

"Not again." Axel reached over and held Roxas in place, trying to pry him off the bed. "Roxas, don't hit me. But we gotta go!"

"What's the rush... I don't have class today."

"Ugh, I should have known you'd forget," Xion shook her head in dismay, "Class Orientation starts in 30 minutes! And you're still...only in your boxers."

Roxas peeked from under one of his pillows and smirked. "If you like what you see, it's not too late to come join me." For that, he earned a hard punch to the gut from Xion, causing him to sit straight back up and cough violently. "Geez! I was kidding, relax!"

Axel grabbed a set of uniform clothes from Roxas' closet and threw them at the groggy 16-year old. "Get dressed," he instructed, "You've got 10 minutes tops. As part of the Council 13, you're obligated to attend Class Orientation each year. Or do you want Saix to get on your ass about delinquency again?"

"You're the KING of delinquents!" Roxas rolled his eyes and buttoned up his white collared shirt. "You're always MIA on our quarterly meetings yet I don't see Saix or Xaldin nagging you about anything. It's always me!" He jumped into his uniform black pants and straightened his black blazer.

Xion pointed her lip sternly at Roxas and replied, "Axel is a _senior_. You can't compare yourself to him. Saix and Xaldin are also seniors. They want to make sure they leave the Council in reliable hands so they're preparing you. And me for that matter..." Her brows furrowed at her last statement.

Axel playfully draped his arm around Xion's shoulders, much to her annoyance, but she did not bother pushing him off. "And besides," he chimed in, "I hear the Director's daughter is giving the orientation speech alongside him. No one's ever heard her say more than two sentences to anyone so I'm pretty curious myself."

The mention of 'Director's daughter' stopped Roxas short of his dressing up. Images of platinum blonde hair, snow-white skin, rosy lips, and icy blue eyes framed by long, ebony eyelashes flashed in his mind. Her Cheshire smiles, playful demeanor, and teasing words replayed all at once, making him shift uncomfortably. _I'm always the witch,_ her voice echoed in his mind. He fixed his light burgundy tie and collar, shaking off the sudden intrusion of those memories. "...Namine? Eh. She's not all that."

Axel and Xion's eyes widened in surprise. "But isn't she, like, your best friend?" Xion asked in wonder.

Roxas smiled and flung himself over Axel, causing both boys to stagger away from Xion. "No way!" he assured them, "Axel has that title. And you, too, Xion."

Axel nearly bit his tongue at his friend's sudden cheesiness. Xion only shrugged and covered a small snicker with her hand. "So if you're not best friends, then why are you always hovering around her when you're not with us or your other friends?"

"...she's a witch," Roxas muttered with a nostalgic smile. Before his friends could ask what he meant, he threw on his leather satchel and kicked up his skateboard to leave.

"Care to elaborate on that?" Xion inquired hopefully.

"Absolutely not," Roxas immediately answered and hopped over to the door. "Hey, aren't we supposed to attend an orientation in the next couple of minutes? Let's get out of here already. This place depresses me." Without bothering to look back, he just took his room keys into his pocket and trusted his friends were following closely behind, Axel locking the door after him. As they descended down the dorm steps towards the street, he looked at the two, said, "Say hi to the others for me!" and suddenly rode his skateboard over the rail and onto the sidewalk. Axel and Xion called after him, but he was no longer within earshot.

* * *

Two towering males shifted in the balcony they stood in. The one with blue-grey hair gritted his teeth and tapped his foot against the tiled floor before pacing back and forth. "They're late," he growled, "Those idiots."

"Director Ansem will not be pleased once he finishes his speech and realizes the Council 13 is not present." the darker-haired male with broad shoulders then pick up his cell and put in a call. The person from the other side seemed to pick up. "Xion! Explain yourselves- where are you three?! Class Orientation is already half way finished!" He peered over the hundreds of new students sitting in the auditorium below, hoping to catch the very people in question sneaking in amongst them.

"We're here!" Axel and Xion announced in unison, causing all the members to snap heads their way. Xion swallowed nervously as Axel stepped up and said, "Um, listen Saix, don't be mad because I can explain-"

"Where is Roxas?" Saix cut the redhead off.

Xion folded her arms across her chest and sighed, "He's not coming up here. He's down there...somewhere. We lost sight of him before Xaldin started nagging me on my phone. Thanks a lot."

"I was not nagging!" Xaldin protested, "It's reasonable for someone to want to know where a missing section of their group is!"

One of the members with long bangs streaked practically across his face, barely masking his judging eyes, walked from his spot and over to the balcony. "Hey, Xiggy," he called, "You have bird vision. See if you can spot our little rogue member from up here."

An older man wearing a long ponytail stepped next to the boy and scanned the students. Then, in the very rear, a speck of dirty blonde and disheveled uniform attire caught his golden eyes. Smirking, he proudly announced, "Found him. Our Roxas is at the very back. If I know that stance, he's pretty irritated. Heh, wonder why?" Then he looked to Zexion. "And it's not 'bird vision.' It's sniper. Sniper! And quit calling me 'Xiggy,' you insolent little punk. I'm older than you." Zexion only hid a smirk in return.

Saix gritted his teeth once again at seeing Roxas where Xigbar had exactly described. "That fool! He can't keep doing whatever he wants like this."

* * *

Roxas dared not look up. He knew the Council 13 had spotted him by now. After all, there was no hiding from Xigbar's legendary bird vision. He could only keep his eyes away from the balcony where they stood and knew for sure Saix was glaring daggers into his skull. Instead, he kept his eyes on the stage where Director Ansem, a gracefully aged man with shoulder-length golden hair and a beard to match, stood.

"This will be a year of triumph," Ansem went on, "Follow your hearts, young students of my esteemed Twilight U Academy, and success will open its doors for you all." He smiled at the cheering student body before turning his goldenrod gaze to the velvet curtains behind him, as though expecting someone to emerge from them. He stood listlessly for a few more moments before growing aggravated and stomping towards the curtains. A murmur stirred within the audience.

"So inspiring," a timid voice made Roxas jerk in surprise. He spun around and found Namine standing right behind him with a curious expression. "Isn't father great? He sure knows his way with words. Unlike me... I'm so nervous for my speech..."

"Namine!" Roxas gasped, "Y-you... What are you doing here?"

Namine frowned, brushing long strands of bangs from her eyes. "Well, to make my speech, obviously. Honestly, Roxas, it's like you don't even know school news anymore. I've been such a nervous wr-"

Roxas grabbed Namine by the elbow and began dragging her towards the stage. "You moron!" he chastised as quietly as he could, "You're supposed to be up there already! Your dad already went backstage to look for you and he did not look happy at all."

"Seriously?! Shoot, I thought my speech was going to be at 11..."

"...Namine, it's already 11:17."

Namine checked her silver wristwatch and her eyes turned wide as saucers. "Oh my gosh!" she cried, "You're right! I totally lost track of time! Ohhh...he's gonna kill me!" She reflexively grabbed Roxas' hand and tried squirming free. "Let go, Roxas! I need to run. You know how he is with failure..."

"Right. And just where the heck are you gonna run to?"

"Anywhere but here!"

Roxas turned to her. "Quit being a fraidy cat and just get up there before he comes back." Upon reaching the stage, he took her by the waist and hoisted her up, ignoring the other students' glances. "Hurry before he notices!"

Namine wobbled as she regained her balance, careful to hold part of her school skirt down as to prevent any embarrassing exposures. "But-"

"Go!" Roxas urged one last time.

With that, Namine brisk walked to the podium just as Ansem emerged from the curtains with a rather livid look on his face. Her eyes apologized profusely before she looked back at the new students. Suddenly, her knees felt weak. They were judging her- her looks, demeanor, and now her voice and words. Her palms suddenly felt clammy and sore and it was getting harder to breathe. "No...n-no..." She took a step back from the podium but met Roxas' eyes through the musty darkness of the auditorium below.

Roxas offered her a smile and mouthed, "You can do it." He held a thumbs up her way.

Roxas' encouraging gesture grounded Namine once more. She smiled back and turned to the students with a determined look in her eyes. Her lips steadily parted as she started her speech with a lucid tone, "Dear students of Twilight U Academy, I, Namine, daughter of school Director Ansem, sincerely welcome you. And to all, I wish a good four years." To her relief, they cheered for her, too.

* * *

After her mishap, Namine received quite the lecture from her father. It included things like why failure was not an option in business, how her 'delinquency' would be her future's downfall, how she needed to be more aware of her surroundings, and repeat. His voice shook from his fury and she, being the meek girl she was, could only bow her head in repeated apology. "Ah..." she sighed as her feet dragged her up the stairs leading to her dorm suite. To top her day, it turned out she did not cover her skirt fast enough when attempting to climb the stage. About half of the new students caught a glimpse of her starry underwear and now know her as "Twinkle." All she wanted to do was disappear. Forget that she existed. At all. She inserted her room keys into the lock and opened the door to be greeted by the sight of a familiar dirty blonde boy napping on her sofa. "...ahhhhh..." The heavier sigh stirred him awake as she locked the door behind her.

"Hey, Twinkle," Roxas chuckled, "Nice speech. Lasted exactly...two sentences." He sat up to make room for the shaking girl.

"Not funny!" Namine nearly sobbed and covered her flushed face, "I'll never live this day down! I hate you! Because of you, I...I-I..." Tears formed in corners of her eyes and she found herself choking on her words. Again.

Roxas only rolled his own eyes, having met this scenario many times before. Gently, he sat her down next to him and gave her head an affectionate, brotherly pat. "Namine, quit being a crybaby. Your little crocodile tears never helped with anything before and it won't do that now."

Namine shook her head, knocking his hand away. "You don't understand," she sniffed, "I'm the Director's daughter. I'm supposed to be...cool a-and p-pretty...and smart. Someone that p-people lo-look up to... I suck."

"Well I can't help you there. As far as I know, you're just Namine- shy, clumsy, overthinking, crybaby Namine."

"You suck at cheering people up."

"I'm not trying to be good at it. I'm just a knight, remember? And you're my allied witch. You cast your spells and I defend home base. There's nothing in the job description about cheering people up." Roxas gave Namine a knowing look, smiling widely.

A brief laugh escaped Namine's lips as she punched him on the arm. "Shut up," she chuckled, "When are you ever going to forget that silly game? That was forever ago. We're adults now in case you didn't notice." She rubbed away the remaining tears from her eyes and cheeks.

Roxas rubbed his arm. Her punch did not hurt him at all, but the playful skin contact left a warm spot to which he could not hold back another smile to. "I doubt being in high school makes us 'grown up.' Oh!" He pulled his cellphone out from his pocket and scrolled through various text messages. "Well, if I can't cheer you up, I bet this will."

Curious, Namine leaned over to look at Roxas' phone. "What will?" she asked. Her cheek brushed against Roxas' slightly and it was then that the boy realized just how close the distance between them was. He grew tense as she hung her lithe arms over his now rigid shoulders and pressed slightly against his back to get a better look at his screen. "What is it?" she asked again, impatiently this time. "I can't see from this angle!"

Roxas felt the warmth of his cheeks grow. His thumb shakily scrolled through the messages again and, for a moment, he nearly forgot just what he was looking for. "Uh..." he spoke in nearly a whisper, "Well, my brother sent me a message earlier while I was waiting and I wanted it to be a surprise, but-" His breath left him as Namine suddenly pressed her weight onto him again. This time, their cheeks attached to each other completely. His eyes widened as one of her palms pressed against his chest for support and the other grasped his hand that held the phone. Unfortunately, the hand that held his chest was her left and his heart was racing at what felt like a million miles per hour. Could she feel it? He bit his lower lip, nearly dropping his phone in the process. "Na-Namine! Lay off, you're heavy!"

"What's the surprise?" Namine persisted, taking the phone completely away from Roxas' shaky hand. She sat back on her side, scrolling frantically through the messages under 'Sora.'

Realizing he was just robbed, Roxas snapped out of his trance and lunged at Namine. "Hey, give that back! I have private stuff in there!"

Namine nonchalantly held a palm up to which Roxas flew smack into. Unfazed, she kept scrolling through. "Calm your little blonde head, Roxas. I know all about your girlfriends already. I introduced you to almost all of them, remember?"

"...they weren't girlfriends."

"Flings, whatever."

"Not those either! Look, Namine, I'd just really appreciate it if you could give me back my phone-"

Namine stopped scrolling, her eyes growing wider along with her smile. "No way!" she exclaimed and turned to Roxas. "Sora's coming! Kairi and Riku, too! They're visiting this weekend?!" She flinched as Roxas snatched back his phone and stuffed it into his pocket. He gave a silent nod to which she jumped excitedly. "We're going to see Sora and the others again! This is so exciting!"

Roxas slumped back into the sofa, all of his feelings of bliss from before having dissipated. "Yay..." he mumbled sarcastically. He looked up gingerly to see if Namine took notice, but she was too busy jumping with joy from the news. He forced a tired smile. "See? Feeling better now?"

"How can I not be? I haven't seen Sora in almost over a year!"

"...or Kairi. Or Riku."

Namine blushed at her seemingly inconsiderate remark. "Oh, right!" she laughed nervously, scratching her cheek. "Kairi and Riku, too, of course. Our friends, Roxas! I wonder how much they've changed. Don't you?"

Roxas could only snort a cynical snicker. "Sora's my brother," he said almost bitterly, "So I don't have to wonder about that too much." Noticing the odd expression Namine sent his way, he softened his tone a bit with, "Kairi and Riku, though... It'd be nice to see fresher faces like theirs...is what I mean." He watched as the petite girl's lips curved into a relieved smile. Her dainty fingers pressed against tinted cheeks. Blinking with excitement, her cerulean eyes glanced up and she threw her head back in daydream ecstasy, nearly falling over herself. And with that, Roxas lost the strength to keep his strained smile up. He hadn't seen her this happy in a long time and it was all from a simple visit notification from his brunette, happy-go-lucky sibling- not him. "Well, you've got a long day tomorrow so you should get some rest." He stood from the sofa and gathered his things from her curved glass desk.

"You're leaving already?" Namine looked to the clock. "It's not even 6 yet."

"I have a lot of studying to do for Advanced Physics tomorrow," Roxas reasoned, "That class is annoying enough as it is. I don't really want it to bug me any more than now if I got any grade lower than an A by the end of the semester. You know how it is."

"Overachiever," Namine sighed, rather amused at her friend. She folded his discarded blazer onto her forearm before handing it to him. "I will never understand how you can be such a lazy genius."

Roxas tucked the blazer under the crook of his arm and headed towards the door. "Years of practice I guess. Say, mind if I hold onto your keys again this year?" He held up a pair of matching keys. "Your spot's pretty good for self study."

Namine held up her own set. "As long as you don't start a party in here or bring your girlfriends over, you can hang on to those until we graduate for all I care." She placed her keys on the desk and sat back down on the sofa, pulling up her phone to, what Roxas assumed, text Sora with. "See you tomorrow?"

Roxas nodded and muttered, "Yeah...see you" before exiting Namine's suite. After closing the door, he leaned against it and sighed sadly at himself. "What am I doing?"

* * *

 _ **Namine:** Sora! Hi! So I heard you guys are visiting this weekend? :3_

 _ **Sora:** Hey, Namine! Damn, Roxas told you about our visit, huh? Well, no use hiding it now lol surpriiiise!_

 _ **Namine:** Yay! I can't wait! Say hi to Kairi and Riku for me!_

 _ **Sora:** We're excited, too! We have so much to catch up on and plenty of news to share with you and Roxas. You're in for a treat this weekend :D_

 _ **Namine:** Looking forward to it... Oh, and Sora?_

 _ **Sora:** Yeah?_

 _ **Namine:** ...I've missed you._

 _ **Sora:** I've missed you, too. And Roxas- my own brother! lol I think he's mad at me. He hardly texts back anymore. I'll bring presents or something to make it up to him. He does love sweets._

Namine brought her knees to her chest and giggled for what felt like the hundredth time that day. "Sora!" she squealed happily. Her thoughts wandered back to their childhood game and a rosy blush dusted her cheeks. "This time... Will I finally become a princess?" She traced a finger lightly along her lips.


	3. Our Crossroads

**The Knight and the Witch**

 _A Kingdom Hearts Fanfiction_

9:38 a.m. The sound of rushed writing and erasing filled the somewhat dim room. For some reason, the weather today was particularly humid and warm. An uncomfortable skater heaved a sigh and gazed at the world outside. Luckily for him, his assigned seat was right next to the only window in the room, granting him ephemeral freedom when he was not occupied with classwork. As expected, he completed his Advanced Physics test 22 minutes ahead of time and now just sat bored trying to distract himself from the growing hunger in his stomach.

Rapid footsteps approached and from the figure spoke, "Care to bring yourself back in with the class, Roxas?"

Roxas blinked out of his trance and turned around to find the Physics teacher looming darkly over him. "Oh...sorry," he mumbled lamely. He raised his arms for a stretch and yawned, fluttering sleep away with his moist lashes. "I finished my test kind of early, Mr. Ruskin. Mind if I leave class early today?"

The pale and lanky old man known as Mr. Ruskin closed the windows and took the boy's test papers into his claw-like fingers. "You need to fix that arrogant tone of yours, young man. It will not fly in any profession you decide to get into."

"I asked nicely, didn't I?" Roxas muttered to himself. But his teacher's ears picked up on it anyway.

"No back talk from you!" Mr. Ruskin hissed, "And to answer your question, Roxas, no. You cannot leave class early. There are no exceptions here. Sit quietly and find something else to do that does not involve your little gadgets...or I will fail you."

"Tch." Roxas moved his hand away from his pocket and instead used it to rest his chin. His eyes wandered over to the windows again. Beyond them, he imagined the sky- eternal and vast. He imagined the birds that flew through them effortlessly, unaware of their blessing of flight. The more he imagined, the lower his eyelids fell and soon enough, he drifted into darkness.

* * *

 _2 years ago..._

Roxas sat on the park bench of Dusk Hill Square, licking away at the sea-salt ice cream in his hand. His uniform was in complete disarray from the summer heat- white collared shirt opened to reveal a regular grey t-shirt underneath, his khaki uniform pants hung loosely on his hips as he had removed his belt to prevent sweating from his nethers, and his flat shoes kicked lazily at the dirt. He frowned and checked his phone for the time. "Where the heck are they?" he grumbled.

Just then, a familiar voice called from a distance, "Roxas!" It belonged to Namine who was running down the dirt trail leading to his bench. Her loose blonde pigtails bounced on her shoulders as her long bangs started to fall in disarray. She looked pretty frantic, too, as though she was trying to warn him of impending doom or something.

Roxas snickered a little at this and could not help but notice that, from his angle, her hunter green plaid skirt was riding higher and higher along her thighs and her uniform shirt's button had freed itself to reveal a little more skin below her collar bone. Hiding a blush, he stood up to greet her half way, not meeting her eyes. "Stop," he assured her, "Don't...ever run. You look like a duck with that goofy expression of yours."

Namine's face turned beet red at his remark and her fist answered for her by landing a home run on his arm. "Well sorry for trying to make up for lost time!" she panted, "I was trying to be considerate!" She looked at the treat in his hand. "Did you get any for me?"

"Did you give me munny for one?"

"Um...no... I didn't know you were going today."

"Then no. I didn't."

Before Namine could protest, she was tackle-hugged from the side by a slightly taller and burgundy-haired girl wearing the same uniform. "Hey, Namine!" Kairi greeted happily, "Roxas, too!"

Roxas shook his head. "I've been out here for-ever. Where the heck were you guys?" He nearly jumped when the alien arm of his brother landed on his shoulders.

Sora rubbed the tip of his nose, looking shyly to the side. "Well, you see, uh..." he stammered, "Kairi and I, uh, had cleaning duty after class today. We cleaned as quickly as we could, but it wasn't fast enough I guess. Sorry, Roxas." He, too, saw the treat in the blonde's hand. "Hey, sea-salt ice cream! Did you get us some?"

Cleaning duty? Roxas grimaced at his brother's blatant lie. It was obvious that something was going on between Sora and Kairi, but he didn't have enough concrete evidence to make such accusations yet. "Nope," he huffed and jammed the ice cream back into his mouth. He looked around and brought the popsicle back out. "By the way, where's Riku? I thought he was coming, too."

"Aw, miss me?" came Riku's sarcastic remark. He walked up to join the group and directed his attention to a blushing Sora and Kairi and a nervous Namine. "You guys ran off so fast that you left your results behind. Here." He handed the three their papers.

"Thank you!" they cried in unison. Roxas and Riku pulled out their sheets as well.

"Um...so...how'd you guys do?" Namine was the first to ask.

Sora and Kairi both shook their heads. "No dice," Sora groaned, "Looks like it's Destiny High for me. Ugh, I didn't even make the mid-range zone!"

"And me," Kairi added, "I missed the passing score for Twilight U Academy by two points. Darn it all!" She looked at the others sadly. "I really wanted us to all get in together..."

Riku shook his head. "Well, to be honest, I passed with fair scores. I was three mistakes away from failing the entrance exam." He then grinned before ripping his results to shreds, much to everyone's shock. "But what the heck, I feel like going to Destiny High with you guys. Three musketeers, right? It just wouldn't be the same without my greatness."

Sora and Kairi nearly teared up with happiness. "Riku..."

Namine looked between her friends, gripping her results tightly. "No way," she said sadly, "So that means... I'm the only one going to T.U.A?"

"I'm sorry, Namine," Sora comforted her with a pat on the back. "Since your dad runs the place, there's no way he'd let you go to Destiny High with us instead. Or...do you think he would consider it at all?"

Looking down at the paper in her hands, Namine could only stare at the green letters that read: STATUS: PASSED. Realistically, Ansem had groomed her to be a prodigious daughter who would one day be headstrong and intelligent enough to inherit his properties, research, and overall wealth. Unfortunately, this meant that, by default, she was to attend Twilight U Academy once she graduated Junior High; even if her pitiful score of 64/100 did not reflect her astute right to attend the prestigious school. In fact, that score was almost as bad as Sora's. She felt hot tears well up in her eyes, her hands shaking from the frustration. "N-no...he wouldn't," she admitted, "He would shut down Destiny High before letting me out of his sight... Ugh, it's just not fair!"

Kairi reached to the trembling girl and took her into a hug. "We'll still see each other," she chided softly, "Don't worry too much, okay? We completely understand." She held Namine's shoulders to look her in the eye. "We'll always be friends, Namine, I promise. No matter which schools we decide to go to, we'll always have each other- in here." She pointed at her heart and smiled warmly.

Namine tried her best to return the smile, as lopsided as hers came out. She then looked at Sora and Riku, mainly at Sora. "I guess I'm on my own again, huh?" she laughed sarcastically, "The outcast witch..."

"Namine..." Sora could only sigh. What could he do? Yes, he wanted his friends to all stick together. But, circumstances as they were, they could not bend fate this time.

"Ahem," Roxas cleared his throat, stepping in and waving his results. "If it makes you feel any better..." He flipped the sheet around to reveal STATUS: PASSED with a grand score of 99/100. The others gawked at him in disbelief and he could only smirk at their reactions. "It's gonna suck ass compared to being with the fun group, but..." He looked at Namine. "I volunteer to be the sacrificial lamb for this young maiden."

Riku whistled, absolutely impressed by his younger friend's results. "Damn, Roxas," he hummed, "With your lazy attitude, I never would have guessed you had a good head on those shoulders!"

"...shut up," Roxas grumbled with a slight blush.

Irritated at his choice of words, Namine shot him a glare. "Don't bother going with me if you consider yourself a sacrifice," she growled, "I don't need your pity."

Her words completely flew over Roxas' head as he walked over to her and gave her noggin a playful fist bump. "Don't be stubborn," he sneered, "Like I said, I'm volunteering. Besides, you could use the tutoring and you have some weird fear of new people and crowds, too."

Sora placed a hand on Roxas' shoulder. "Wait a minute," he said, "T.U.A requires tuition payments. Where are you going to get the munny for your whole 4 years there?"

Roxas puffed out his chest with brimming confidence and replied, "With this score, I'm pretty sure I've caught the old man's attention. Ergo, I'm also sure I can work out a deal with him; especially if it involves tutoring his hopeless daughter who shares your brain."

"Ooooh..." Riku cooed, making Sora and Namine redden a bit in embarrassment. Kairi glared at him, making him bite his lip in silence.

It was Sora's turn to pull Namine into a one-armed embrace, making the girl blush and stiffen under his touch. "Well," he chuckled with a wide smile, "You know what they say- great minds think alike! Right, Namine?" He caught her eyes and she stiffly nodded in response. "And you have nothing to worry about. Roxas is a nice guy. Well...nice-ish. Puberty kind of messed it up a bit."

"Ye-yeah," Namine whispered, unable to control her rapidly beating heart, "I think...you're a lot nicer, though, Sora." Then, under her breath, she mumbled, "I wish you could come instead." Her grip tightened on his sleeve, her blush deepening in color. She really enjoyed his earthy scent and his laugh rang melodiously in her ears, making her heart flutter even more.

"Group hug!" Kairi suddenly cheered and jumped on Sora and Namine with her own embrace. Riku shrugged and enveloped his friends with his muscular arms, earning laughs all around. "Come over here, Roxas!" Kairi waved to the blonde, "The hugs are for everyone!"

Roxas felt his chest tighten at seeing Namine's peaceful expression in Sora's hold. He frowned at the feeling, having to look away to ease the pain a little. Why did he feel this way? For some reason, Sora's presence had been annoying him lately and even more so when Namine was involved. He felt something cold and sticky run down his fingers. Looking down at this hand, he frowned again. His ice cream had melted.

* * *

"Roxas. Class has ended, Roxas!"

Eyelids snapped open to reveal wide, bloodshot blue eyes looking at a sickeningly familiar lanky old man. Roxas sat up from his seat. Looking around, he found himself to be the only student left in the classroom. He looked up at the clock and the time read 10:03. Groaning, he packed his things into his satchel and stood up to leave. "Sorry about that," he muttered as he walked towards the door.

Mr. Ruskin did not even look up from his paperwork when he said, "If you ever fall asleep in my class again, I'll be sure to report it to the Director." He paused his pen scribbling. "You may have a brilliant mind, but your lax personality needs work. A lot of work."

Roxas shrugged the comment off, mumbled a "Yeah," and finally exited the dim classroom.


	4. Our Lunch Spot

**The Knight and the Witch**

 _A Kingdom Hearts Fanfiction_

"Miss Namine."

Namine's eyebrow twitched in annoyance. Her fingers shook as she held her mechanical pencil between them, an unfinished cell diagram resting beneath its lead.

"Miss Namine," the gentle voice repeated, "I'm afraid time is up. I need your test paper, please. The rest of the class has already handed theirs in."

Said class rose into murmur, causing Namine to look up from her desk and into the kind emerald eyes of her Biology teacher, Ms. Gainsborough- Aerith Gainsborough. She figured the young woman was no more than at least 4-5 years older than her and that throwing the unfinished test at her face would be fine. Deciding against the childish tantrum, she reluctantly handed the brunette her paper, muttering, "Sorry." She could feel the other students' eyes on her, which made her sink deeper into her seat.

"That's Director Ansem's daughter, right?" one voice whispered from behind.

"Yeah," its companion replied, "Figures that the teachers would be more lenient with her not finishing on time."

"I know, right? At least ten minutes extra. What a spoiled brat."

Namine winced, fighting the urge to run. In the end, she did not even finish her test despite the time extension, but they didn't know that. They couldn't know that.

After gathering the papers, Aerith looked up at the class and announced, "Your test results will be posted online in a few days so make sure to keep checking your portal. Believe in yourselves; I will see you all again on Friday." She smiled and waved to them. "Class dismissed!"

Chairs shuffled as students crammed their things into their bags, eager to leave for lunch. While everyone else seemed to leave with pairs of friends, Namine instead waited to be left alone before practically running out of the classroom. This was not recreational time for her. Lunch was more of a battlefield with her being on the losing side since the other students treated her as a social pariah. Because of her father's title and influence, she never felt welcomed by her classmates. Growing up in such a tense atmosphere practically all her school life, it ultimately led to her partial agoraphobia that worked against her today. "Only 45 minutes..." she whispered to herself.

* * *

"Mr. Ruskin really has it in for you, huh?" a stout dark-haired boy by the name of Pence asked, turning towards Roxas after taking a bite out of his turkey sandwich.

Roxas shrugged in return, twirling his fork on the soggy spaghetti he picked for his meal. "I expected it, to be honest," he admitted, "Especially since I accidentally disproved his theory that he apparently had been working on for years. Not like I wanted to do that on purpose either. It was a legit question."

Another blonde boy, his hair more of waves than tufts, rolled his eyes before leaning over to eat his own soggy spaghetti. "You're such a humble brag," he munched, "Just say it how it is- you think you're smarter than the teachers!"

"Hayner!" the chestnut-haired girl next to him gave him a good smack in the head. "That's an awful thing to say, take it back right now!" Her name was Olette and as far as Roxas knew, her intelligence was just above Riku's. Yet she was one of the nicest girls in school so it was fairly easy for his rugged guy friends to hang with her. Besides, judging by Hayner's tinted cheeks, he seemed to have a thing for her.

From the corner of his eye, Roxas caught a familiar glimpse of platinum blonde. His eyes followed Namine as she nervously navigated through the crowded space, clumsily weaving between the other students. Much to her misery, her lone navy blue tie getting snagged on one of their backpacks, causing her to stagger back. She snatched the tie away, apologizing profusely and then running off. "What the...what is she doing?" Roxas laughed to himself.

Hayner, Pence, and Olette noticed their friend's sudden change in expression and followed his gaze to Namine. As if on cue, the three then knowingly smirked at each other.

"Excuse me," Namine panted once she reached the counter, "May I please just have one of the sweet breads on the shelf?" To her dismay, the cafeteria lady frantically refused her request, saying something about her father requiring the girl eat a decent meal. The next thing Namine knew, a literal silver platter with a closed lid was shoved into her arms. "Um...thanks..." She hid behind her long bangs as she made the arduous journey out of the cafeteria. Words like 'spoiled,' 'favorite,' 'brat,' and 'bitch' flew at her in whispers. Quickening her pace, she hopped up the steps and out the door with silver platter still at hand.

All noise seemed to have drowned out while Roxas watched the entire display. He wasn't sure what he wanted to say to her, but his body moved before he could stop it. "I'll catch you guys later, okay?" he excused himself from his friends, "I uh, have some homework to catch up on." His feet practically flew off the floor as he hurriedly exited the cafeteria.

Hayner pouted at the dirty tray Roxas left behind. "He always acts weird when it comes to that girl," he commented, "Nom? Noma? Noni?"

"Namine," Olette corrected.

"I think he just likes her," Pence grinned, "After all, they are childhood friends."

"Funny way to show you like someone when you constantly make fun of them," said Hayner, now picking off the leftovers from Roxas' tray.

* * *

Namine slammed her lunch on the dusty old student desk. Sighing, she fell to the floor, brought her knees to her chest, and buried her head in her arms. "I hate this place!" she screamed into her knees. After a few moments of silence, she swallowed the lump in her throat and took out a sketchbook from her bag. Pencil at hand, she quietly drew to her heart's content, doodling sharp angles and dark lines on the page.

The classroom door creaked open as Roxas cautiously stepped in, watching as Namine attacked her sketchbook on the floor. Amused, he sat down next to her and said, "You were pretty graceful out there today. I saw the whole thing."

Completely immersed in her activity and caught off guard, Namine jumped away from the boy, clutching her pencil tightly. "Roxas!" she yelped, "Yo-you.. What are you doing here? This is my spot!"

Roxas took a good look around. The classroom didn't appear to be recently used. Most of the florescent light bulbs were out, there were small cracks on the walls, and the shelves, desks, and chairs were dusty. "Is this supposed to be your new hangout?" he asked, twisting his face.

"Well...no." Namine closed her sketchbook and put away her things. "I just wanted to get away from everyone. Before I knew it, I was promoted from 'bathroom girl' to 'abandoned classroom girl.' Anyway, is there a good reason as to why you're stalking me now?"

Shit. That was the question Roxas was hoping to avoid having to answer. Clearing his throat, he replied, "I uh... I just..wa-wanted to remind you that I'll be coming over after school for your tutoring."

"...but it's not Friday."

"...well, um, I heard you bombed on your test today. So your dad asked me to come in an extra day. I get paid extra, too, of course." He totally just pulled that out of his ass. Luckily for him, Namine groaned in annoyance, indicating he was right. Smirking, he decided that 7/10 times was a good chance of her not doing so well on an assignment or test.

"Stupid Biology," Namine cursed, "I studied so hard for it, too! The orientation knocked all the study out of me. And now father knows... He'll never let me live this down." The brief moment of silence was broken when her stomach groaned in agony at its emptiness. Her blonde companion failed to hide his chuckle. Furrowing her brow, she stood up and inspected her platter- a classy dinner-style steak, mashed potato, and asparagus and carrots entree. She sliced a piece of the steak and brought it up to her lips. Without warning, Roxas grabbed her hand from behind and took the steak into his mouth instead, straight from her fork. "What the heck, Roxas!" she squeaked, flushed in the cheeks.

"Sorry," he laughed through clenched teeth, "I was too lazy to slice it myself."

"First of all, this is my lunch. Second, you're too lazy for anything and yet, here you are: Roxas- Twilight U Academy's famed and adored lazy-genius wonder! The favorite of everyone but still ironically not as nice as Sora."

Roxas' smile vanished at her remark. All of a sudden, the steak felt very dry going down his throat. Sora. It always somehow made full circle to him and it made Roxas' chest clench in ways that he could not explain. "Speaking of Sora..." he said in a low voice, "Are you finally going to tell him?"

Namine nearly choked on the carrot she was working on, patting her chest. "Wh-what?" she coughed, "Tell him what?" She studied Roxas' serious expression. Oddly enough, he was hiding behind his layered bangs. "...stop being weird." She proceeded in taking another bite out of her steak. To her shock, Roxas suddenly grabbed her wrist, forcing her to look him in the eye. This time, she could tell he was dead serious.

"Namine," he spoke louder, "Aside from Sora, no one's idiot enough to not notice how you feel about him. You like him, don't you?" The more he spoke, the heavier his heart felt. Anger, annoyance, anxiousness, and worst of all, fear- it shook him. He feared that if he said anymore, the girl before him might disappear. But, at the same time, he felt that if he didn't say what he needed to now, then it would be too late anymore.

Now scowling, Namine snatched her hand away from Roxas' hold. "I don't know what's gotten into you, Roxas. But if you must know, then yes! I plan on confessing to him when I see him this weekend. Happy now?"

Roxas could only hear what sounded like large bells tolling in his ears. That was that. Namine was finally confessing to Sora. Their friendships would be rewritten, she would probably try to elope with his brother, Kairi would run to either him or Riku as a rebound, and he'd eventually end up alone or going on various casual dates until he figured out what to do with his life.

"And then..maybe then...I'll finally become his princess."

"...what?" Roxas' brow twitched. "You... You're seriously still hung up on that game from 10 years ago? After all that talk yesterday of being adults?"

"Well you said that as a witch, if I got my kiss then I'd be a princess." Namine happily clapped her hands together. "Figuratively speaking anyway. Once that happens, maybe I can grow more confidence! And be more princess-like and cute so people will talk to me."

Upon hearing this, Roxas could not suppress a sly smile creeping on his lips. He moved closer towards the girl, purposely towering his height over hers to emphasize his intimidating aura. "You?" he sneered, "Want to kiss my brother? Ha! Good luck with that idea."

Namine's cheeks reddened. "What do you mean?"

"No offense, but...I know my brother. He won't respond well to a novice kisser after all his experience." What a lie. "In fact, just to protect your precious innocence and friendship, he most likely wouldn't kiss you at all. Specifically you, Namine." He mentally gave himself a pat on the back seeing how troubled Namine was at this revelation.

"I-I could be different!" she insisted, "Besides, I won't know unless I-"

Roxas suddenly stooped down, looking at Namine from an upwards angle. Her mouth froze, unsure of what words she was trying to stammer out anymore. "Hey," he whispered, "Have you even been on a date with someone before? Do you know how to act around boys given your social awkwardness?"

"...I-I...I...don't...know..." Namine stuttered quietly. She tried to take a step back, but Roxas stopped her with a hand around her waist. Slightly panicked, she attempted to push him away. "Roxas, what are you-"

"What would you do in this situation?" Roxas interrupted her, "If Sora were to suddenly hold you like this because he felt the same way, then..." He drew himself closer to her, tracing the side of her porcelain-like face with his index finger and stopping at her lower lip. Gazing deep into her eyes, he knew that he had her hypnotized under his ministrations. "...if he tilted your head up..." Just as his words promised, his index finger left her lips to tilt her chin up.

Namine's fingers made a shaky attempt to encircle Roxas' wrist, but her limbs felt like jelly. Her heart was also pounding loudly against her chest, much to her surprise. Here she was- in a forgotten classroom about to have her first kiss stolen by Roxas. Her childhood friend Roxas. The once kind and chivalrous Roxas that turned lax and sarcastic after the age of 12. This same Roxas was now inching closer to her with the most determined look she'd ever seen, their eyes glued to each other. Curiously, her body leaned compliantly into his hold, shifting forward to meet him the rest of the way.

Roxas stopped only millimeters away from Namine's lips. Her unsteady breaths brushed teasingly past his own, making his vision hazy. He could feel his judgement slipping but somehow this moment with her...it just felt right. Fighting the urge to take her then and there, he continued, "And finally, once you guys are close enough, he'll take this angle and-"

The sudden chime of the school bell caused both teens to jump away from each other. Lunch was over and an unfinished silver platter meal sat on the same desk. Namine held her tomato-red face, unable to look at Roxas again after what _almost_ happened. On his side, Roxas did his best to remain stoic, though his also-blushing face betrayed him. "S-s-so," he stammered, "That's why I-I'm trying to say...Sora will never kiss you if you freeze like a snowman the moment the kiss is initiated." Sensing the painful awkwardness, he put on his best smile and teased, "Geez, did you see yourself? I thought I was holding a totem pole for a while there! Though, I think a totem pole would have a prettier face..."

At that moment, Namine's shock was replaced by anger. "Shut up, jerk!" she hissed, "How did you expect me to react? That was so random and you were being freaky! I thought you were going to seriously kiss me just now!"

Roxas lifted an eyebrow at her. "Disappointed?" he teased again with a smirk.

"Ugh!" Namine grabbed her bag and stomped out the door. Secretly, she had hoped that the door would slam him in the face and knock him out for the rest of the day, but she had no such luck.

"See you after school then! And don't forget your Biology book!" Roxas smiled mischievously and also went his way to his next class.

Namine placed a hand over her heart. "What is this..." she asked herself, her cheeks still as red as when she was in that classroom. "Stupid Roxas." Strangely enough, her heart was still beating rapidly under her palm.


	5. Our Time 4 Years Ago

**The Knight and the Witch**

 _A Kingdom Hearts Fanfiction_

The last bell chimed and Roxas was the first out of his classroom. He bade his classmates farewell as he expertly leaped down the two flights of stairs leading to the exit. He liked to pretend he was doing parkour during rushed times like these and he would have enjoyed it fully too if it weren't for _that._ He halted in his tracks at the sight of Xion standing on the sidewalk just outside the academy's front steps.

"Roxas..." she started threateningly, "You'd better not be thinking about what I know you're thinking about."

"I don't know what you're talking about, Xion," Roxas denied, sticking his tongue out at her. "And you know nothing."

Now irritated, Xion jumped up the steps to catch the skater, but he managed to get behind the railing, using it as a barrier to keep her at bay. "Roxas!" she hissed and threw a clawed hand at him.

Roxas leaned back, narrowly avoiding having his face torn off. "I'm not going!" he protested, "I have work in a few minutes! And I told you to stop that cat clawing thing. I still have a scar on my shoulder from your last assault."

"I wouldn't have to do the 'cat claw thing' if you'd just listen to me and Axel for once!" She climbed over the railing only to have the blonde make a dash for the now open sidewalk. "No you don't!" Balancing herself, she slid down the railing and leaped at him, yelling, "I'm going to drag you to the meeting myself!" She gasped as something caught her midair.

Roxas had his back turned to Xion the whole time. Therefore, he did not expect a sudden yank from the collar, landing him on his bum. "Ow!" he grunted, "What the hell?" He looked up to see Axel standing over him with a frown.

"You brought this on yourself," Axel warned and motioned towards Xion.

Roxas followed the redhead's gaze and found Xaldin suspending Xion effortlessly in midair with a single arm. "Shit..." the younger boy cursed under his breath.

"You're not escaping today's meeting, Roxas," Xaldin stated, "Now, be a good boy and follow me. Saix is waiting." He put the pouting Xion back down. "Director Ansem will not be pleased with your hooky adventures. He specifically assigned you to the Council 13 to use your brain for something _beneficial_ to the school. It would be a shame to lose your 'scholarship' over something so...measly."

"If it's so measly then why make a big deal out of it?" Roxas countered. He earned a glare from Axel that said 'shut it!' Just as he was about to add another comment, he saw Xaldin's darkening expression. Sighing, he finally muttered, "...fine. But this had better be quick because I have a tutoring job soon."

Back in her dorm suite, Namine restlessly paced her room, constantly looking up at her wall clock. The earlier events of today still had her riled up and she wanted answers from the culprit himself. The only problem was that he was over half an hour late already. Also, she was not his doorman or butler to wait on him for whenever he felt like arriving so she really did not have to be pacing in her room right now. Shrugging, she headed for the living room area where her sketchbook awaited her. Might as well kill time by drawing, right?

 _"Hey, let's play Crime and Justice!"_

Namine drew a circle to begin the faint outline of a face. Next came the eyes and then the lips. Her eyes did their best to keep up with her hand which guided her strokes with grace and precision. Memories of another game trickled their way into her mind as she continued.

* * *

 _4 years ago..._

"Hey, let's play Crime and Justice!" Tidus, a tan 12 year old boy with blonde hair suggested, "The weather's not too hot today so it's perfect for running!" Those present within the group today consisted of himself, Sora, Riku, Kairi, Roxas, Namine, and a girl named Selphie. They whispered among each other at the idea.

"Where is Neku and his group?" asked Sora, "They're pretty good at this game. I want Neku on my team- dibs!"

"Joshua sent me a text yesterday," Riku replied, "They're on a retreat for the next three weeks. Something about going to Mount Fontan in the Sumaris region."

Namine gave a sheepish smile. "They're so weird about those trips," she commented, "But I guess that just leaves us. I'd like to play. It sounds like fun! But...how do you play Crime and Justice exactly?"

Tidus stepped up, unbuttoning his shirt to get comfortable for a run. "It's easy! There are two teams- Crime and Justice. Crime team's goal is to hide and avoid being captured while trying to get the treasure." Picking up a stick, he ran to the middle of the school field and drew a circle on the ground. Then, he threw the same stick inside. "That's the treasure now!" he proudly stated while running back to the group.

"Justice team's job is to catch all the members of the opposing team," Roxas added, "And to make sure that the treasure is not taken from that circle. Once the treasure leaves the circle, it's game over."

"If a criminal is caught, they're jailed; meaning, they can't make an attempt at the treasure anymore or participate in the game." Tidus smiled. "However, a fellow criminal can tag you out of jail. In other words, you can be saved. Once you're tagged, you're back in the game."

Riku rolled his eyes. "That part of the rule can get so annoying," he grumbled, glaring at Sora and Kairi.

Kairi giggled, readying herself for a run by putting her hair up in a loose and messy ponytail. "You just need to be faster. Sora and I make a great team. Right, Sora?" She looked at Sora who blushed and nodded.

Namine loosened her tie a little and adjusted her skirt. "Sounds like fun!" she jumped, "If we're picking teams, then I-"

"I don't feel like running much today," Selphie admitted, "Besides, it would be totally uneven if it's 4 vs. 3. I'd be more than happy to referee, though!"

"Well that works," Tidus nodded at her, "Since you're referee, you get to pick the teams."

Namine's shoulders slumped. She had hoped to voluntarily join Sora's team, but this would be a 50/50 way to go about it now. Roxas glanced at her reaction, scowled, but made no comments about it.

"Sure," Selphie beamed, "Let's see... Sora, Kairi, and Riku can be Justice so Riku won't have to keep chasing them all his life. Namine, Roxas, and Tidus...you guys are Crime since you seem to have the most energy!"

Reactions were mixed. Whilst Justice was somewhat satisfied with Riku taking only little offense to Selphie's doubt of his abilities, Namine was lucidly disappointed by her position. She was away from Sora again and there just did not seem to be any chance for her to get closer to him since this game would force her to run away from Justice members.

Roxas sighed and rubbed the back of his head, shrugging at the pepped up Tidus next to him. "Selphie is terrible at reading people, huh," he chuckled before looking over at the dispirited Namine. "Hey, Namine, let's regroup. We need a strategy to get that sti- I mean, treasure."

Minutes later, the game took off with a fiery start. As a rule, Justice members had to close their eyes and count to 30 for the start of each round, giving Crime members enough time to find hiding spots. In turn, Crime could only start their prowl for the treasure after the 30 countdown was over.

Namine managed to find a cozy spot between two smaller trees where a bush conveniently sat to cover her. She gingerly peeked over to where Sora, Kairi, and Riku patrolled. As expected, they created some form of blockade round the treasure.

"No group-huddle babysitting!" Selphie chastised from afar, "Only one member is allowed to guard the treasure at a close proximity. The other two must hunt down criminals!"

The blonde girl internally thanked their referee for the fair decision to split Justice. She watched as Sora and Riku exchanged some words and then took off in different directions. Kairi stayed with the treasure. Realizing Sora had dashed off towards her direction, Namine blushed and disappeared into the bushes, attempting to crawl to a new hiding spot closer to the treasure. She saw Kairi turn around and used that chance to dash towards a nearby shed.

"Namine, run!" Tidus' cry echoed through the field.

Namine froze. She stiffly turned around to see Sora sprinting towards her. He was a lot faster than she remembered as she barely had any time to make a run for it. Shutting her eyes tight, she felt his hand grab hers and squeeze it tightly.

Sora put on the widest and most triumphant smile that day. "Got ya!" he exclaimed.

The next thing Namine knew, she was sitting under the shade of a large oak tree just a bit of distance away from Kairi and the treasure. Of course the first person to be jailed would be her, go figure. She remembered the feeling of Sora's hand enveloping hers and blushed again. Though, as happy as she was at that fleeting moment, she was growing rather lonely at being isolated under the oak tree.

"You let yourself get caught, didn't you?" a voice whispered from behind her, "Just so you could hold his damn hand."

Namine gasped as the person took her by the arm and hoisted her up. "What-"

"Tag- You're back in the game."

* * *

"Oh, man..." Roxas yawned as he walked into Namine's dorm. "Sorry to keep you waiting, Namine. Axel and Xion dragged me to this Council 13 meeting and it was just some useless stuff like finding organizers for Homecoming. Seriously, what do they take me for..." His voice trailed off at finding Namine fast asleep on her table, mechanical pencil still nestled between her thumb and index finger. She had on a simple white tank top and baby blue cotton shorts and her hair bun had fallen into disarray over her shoulders.

Quietly walking over to her, Roxas noticed a familiar drawing on her sketchpad. Piercing blue eyes, light-tan skin, and signature brown spikes that jotted out from every direction- Sora. She even got that goofy smile of his down, too.

Namine stirred, slowly sitting up and squinting through sleepy eyes. "Roxas?" she called.

Fortuitously, Roxas stood just behind her line of vision. He decided against responding and stayed perfectly still. No good reason. He just wanted to see what would happen.

Namine yawned and laid her head back down. "You...saved me," she muttered before drifting back to sleep.

Roxas stood rigid at her words. Saved her? When? How? He cursed himself for his ridiculous decision to play statue and wanted nothing more than to shake her mad and demand answers. However, he just carefully sat down next to her and watched her sleep.

 _'Why does her liking Sora annoy me? And why does my chest hurt so much every time I think about it? Ugh! What the hell is going on?!'_

Groaning, he plopped his head next to hers. Now they were facing each other and Roxas felt so relieved that her eyes were closed shut right now. For some reason, he could not tear his gaze from her, but he did not mind. Not in the least. "Namine..." he whispered, but not loud enough to wake her, "What's happening to me?" His eyebrows furrowed. "You're just my bratty childhood friend that I'm supposed to tutor through High School...and yet...I'm feeling these weird things."

Namine smiled in her sleep, her expression softening. Whatever she was dreaming, it had to be nice. It was probably about Sora, Roxas deduced. He gently reached over and brushed some strands of hair from her face. His chest ached again.


	6. Our Lesson

**The Knight and the Witch**

 _A Kingdom Hearts Fanfiction_

"Do you think she suspects anything?" Sora whispered, "Why are we visiting Namine first again?"

"Because your fickle brother wasn't in his room," Riku replied, "Ow! Quit shoving me to the wall, you fat porcupine!" He pushed Sora away and Sora stubbornly pushed back.

"Sssshh!" Kairi chided both boys, "She'll hear your guys' bickering!" She stepped in between them and led the rest of the way to Namine's dorm. Once they reached her door, she gave it a gentle knock.

"Who is it?" came Namine's voice.

Sora and Kairi frantically searched for a witty reply, but Riku beat them to it. "Pizza delivery for, uh...Nah-mine-eh?" he announced in an exaggeratedly deep voice. As if reciting a spell, the lock came undone and the door creaked open.

Namine stood at the other end. At first, her expression was very disgruntled at the strange announcement for pizza delivery at 9 a.m. on a weekday. But that was quickly replaced with a surprised smile as she clasped her hands together. "Riku!" she gasped, "Kairi! Sora! What are you guys doing here?" She jumped to hug all three excitedly.

"Who's at the door, Namine?"

Sora, Kairi, and Riku froze. That voice. Sora was the first to crane his neck towards its direction to see a groggy Roxas wearing only his black uniform pants and a towel hanging over his drenched shoulders, wiping droplets of water from his face and hair. The brunette looked to Namine then back at the freshly bathed boy and his face reddened. "Roxas?!" he, Kairi, and Riku simultaneously exclaimed.

Roxas staggered back at the group's sudden outburst. To say he was surprised to see them standing before him was an understatement. "What the?" he gawked, "What are you guys doing here?!"

Sora marched over to the blonde and jabbed a finger into his naked shoulder. "We should be asking you that! To think...we left you alone with Namine for a year and...this..."

Roxas stared at his bumbling sibling with puzzlement. "What the heck are you going on about?"

"You guys are living together?" Kairi beat Sora to the point rather frankly, looking at Roxas first then Namine.

Namine and Roxas both turned equally red in the face upon realizing the assumptions their friends were making. "It's not like that!" they defended quickly.

Mortified, Namine rushed the three inside and locked her door shut. "How could you guys think that?" she cried, "Roxas just likes crashing here once in a while to avoid his Council 13 higher ups. Well...and to self study and tutor me also."

"Tutor?" Riku questioned, turning to Roxas.

"Namine's dumb as bricks," Roxas explained bluntly. Namine shot him an icy glare which he chose to ignore. "The girl can draw as well as Da Vinci, but her practical academics suffer. So Ansem and I had an agreement: I get to attend T.U.A fully funded by him. In return, I do at least 15 hours of tutoring per week. Namine takes first priority of course, being his daughter and all. I also have to be an 'esteemed' Council 13 member, join and excel in a sport, and maintain a 3.8 or higher GPA until graduation."

Sora, Kairi, and Riku looked at Roxas worriedly. "That's a lot of stuff to take on by yourself," Sora pointed out, "Isn't it kind of unfair?"

"Father would not accept anything less," Namine clarified with a forlorn look, "He even thought it generous to only make Roxas work 15 hours of tutoring per week. I told Roxas that this was just his way of being sadistic. He expected you to quit and leave."

"Duh," Roxas muttered, "But the old man's got nothing on me. I can handle this." He yawned and headed towards the kitchen.

"Why are you doing so much just to come to this school?" Sora clenched his hand into a fist. "And you never told me anything about this until now... No wonder you hardly ever reply to my messages or calls anymore."

Roxas opened the fridge and gulped down a half empty bottle of orange juice. After swallowing, he let out a refreshed "Ah!" and licked his lips. "I guess that could be the reason," he chuckled sarcastically.

"My orange juice!" Namine cried in dismay and ran to the kitchen.

Kairi looked at Roxas with suspicion, bringing a hand to her chin. She watched as he effortlessly held Namine back while he threw the empty bottle into the recycling bin. The smaller girl launched a whirlwind of fists at him but to no avail. He only smiled at her and nudged her back as he proceeded to take a cereal box from one of the pantries. Kairi slyly smiled. "You know, Roxas," she said, "You're a _very_ good _friend,_ not wanting to leave Namine all alone at this school."

Roxas looked back at her with an equally suspicious expression. "Um...thanks?" He glared at Kairi's now sneering face.

"On the birght side!" Riku cut in, "Guess who's joining team T.U.A this year and after?"

"Who?" Roxas and Namine dared to bite.

Sora, Kairi, and Riku eagerly pulled out their new result papers, all marked with STATUS: PASSED. "Us!" they cheered, "We're officially moving in this weekend!"

Roxas ran a hand through his damp hair in wonder. "Will the surprises never end today?" he laughed, "Congratulations."

Namine would have squealed so loudly if she had not held back. Clutching a hand to her chest, she beamed, "This is so exciting! We'll help you guys move in right away. Right, Roxas?" For that, she earned a scoff.

"Man!" Sora breathed and did the usual putting-his-hands-behind-his-head-and-leaning-to-the-side pose. "The test was as insanely hard as the first time I took it. Actually, harder since we were taking it for Sophomore year. I had to study for months!"

"And even then you only barely managed to pass by two points," Riku snickered, "You'd better not blow it from here on out, noob."

"Curious," Roxas mentioned, "But, Sora, how are you going to cover your costs for schooling here? Did you strike up a deal with old fart Ansem, too?"

"Kairi, Riku, and I are going to share a studio for the time being," Sora assured his brother with a smile, "The rent will be divided, making it much cheaper than the dorms. Between the three of us, it comes down to about 350 munny per person. I got the school's permission to work part time around town to help with expenses so I can afford books and food, too. It's all good!"

"I'm doing the same," Kairi added, "Except, instead of around town, I'll be working inside the school. It's easier to find time to study that way."

"I'm going to be Ansem's office assistant," Riku groaned, "It's such a high pressure job... But I need it for credentials and recommendations for the colleges I'll be applying to. He pays pretty well, too, so I'll deal."

Namine looked at each of her friends proudly. "You guys are so sure of what to do," she commented with a meek smile, "I think it's really great..." Her eyes briefly met Sora's and her cheeks turned pink. "I guess we'll be together again from now on, huh?"

Sora offered her a comforting smile and a wink. "It's a promise!" Without warning, he pulled her into a hug, making Namine blush even more. "It's really good to see you again. We're sorry if you felt like we abandoned you...we really didn't."

It took Namine a bit of time for his words to process, but she found her sanity again and returned the hug. "I know," she whispered to Sora, "You don't have to apologize for anything." This was all real. She wasn't alone anymore. All of her friends were with her now and Sora was finally within her reach. Suddenly, she was very aware of his lips brushing lightly against her ear. Roxas' conversation from the other day about kissing then came back to her. _'Experienced...kiss?!'_ Her heart skipped a million times over again and her legs wobbled a little.

But just as quickly as he came in, Sora abruptly pulled away, still grinning widely. "Great! Be sure to help us move in like you promised. That way, it gives us all time to catch up."

"Mmm!" Namine nodded happily. Roxas, on the other hand, approached her side with a scowl.

"Do you guys have classes every day like we did in Destiny High?" Kairi asked.

"They treat us like early college students here." Roxas shoved his hands into his pockets. "So you pick your classes at the end of each year and you get to pick which teachers you want for those classes, too. Since this _is_ still High School, though, none of the classes you pick will ever be lectured any time past 4 p.m. or on weekends. It's also your sole responsibility as a student to structure your curriculum in a way that you get all of your mandatory credits by the end of every year."

Riku and Kairi nodded at each other. "It's as fancy as we thought," they murmured to each other with wide eyes. They then turned to Sora who was practically beside himself in worry.

"For example," Namine chimed in, "Roxas and I don't have classes today since Fridays are my tutoring days. We coordinated it that way."

Kairi looked at Roxas curiously. "Then why the uniform pants?"

Roxas gave her a mischievous grin. "Why, Kairi, you'd rather I stay in my boxers instead?" He began unbuckling his belt.

"Nope!" Kairi protested, looking away, "I'm sorry I asked!" She glanced up at the wall clock and gasped. "Oh my gosh! Sora, Riku, we need to get to the registration office right now! Our appointment was 10 minutes ago!" She grabbed both boys' collars and dragged them out the door. "We'll catch up with you guys later! Let us know when you're done with tutoring!"

"Ow!" Riku choked, "Damn, Kairi, you need to control this titan strength of yours." He waved to Roxas as they got dragged further. "Roxas, just shoot us a message when you guys are free, okay? Or you, Namine, whoever works. Ow, watch it, Kairi!"

"I feel sick..." Sora grunted as he, too, was helplessly dragged along the floor.

The two blondes nodded and Roxas stiffly closed the door after their rambunctious friends. "Well," he exhaled, turning to Namine, "Today certainly will be interesting."

"It sure will," Namine agreed shyly, still blushing at the memory of Sora's embrace.

Roxas caught this and bumped a fist lightly on her forehead. "Hey, nerd. You'd better focus on today's lesson. Ansem will be on my ass if you don't pass with at least B's this year. He already chewed me out for your pathetic C's last year." He walked over to the couch, threw the towel over the arm rest, sat down, and opened up Namine's Biology book from the small shelf next to him.

Namine rubbed her forehead before joining Roxas on the couch, pencil and notebook ready. Before she knew it, her mind had already checked out of reality once he got started on the topic of cell division. _'Experienced... I wonder if Sora's kissed other girls already? Would I disappoint him? What's in a kiss anyway? It can't be that hard!_ Her gaze trailed from the cell diagrams of her book up to Roxas' face. Curious blue eyes instantly honed in on his lips- the very lips that almost claimed hers in the forgotten classroom the other day. These very lips were talking about something now, but she couldn't quite comprehend it anymore. The same lips closed, turning to her and shifting closer. She received another fist bump to the forehead. "Ow!" she squeaked.

"Namine!" Roxas called out to her in a frustrated tone, "Are you even listening? I told you to focus today. I have my own homework to do, too, you know. I also have fencing practice with Hayner in the afternoon."

"I know, I know! I'm sorry, Roxas, it's just..." She looked away in embarrassment. "Ever since yesterday when you said Sora had...experience...it's all I've been able to think about."

Roxas' eyes widened a tad at her honesty. "Oh, I get it. You're all giddy now since he's so close by and you'll be confessing to him soon." He grinned evilly. "Yet you've never kissed another soul in your life so you're suddenly self conscious. How cute."

"Shut up!" Namine chided, blushing furiously. "It's like you just can't go one day without making fun of me!" She folded her arms across her chest and turned away from him with the nastiest scowl on her face. "Forget I said anything. Just continue with your stupid lesson."

Smirking, Roxas closed the Biology book. "You really want to learn _my_ lesson, Namine?" he whispered lowly in her ear. He turned her face towards his. "To be honest, it's anything but stupid."

Namine's felt her breath stop at their closeness. Her heart was drumming the same rhythm from yesterday and just as loudly. "Roxas..." she started.

"Just say the word. I can teach you what you've been _dying_ to know."

"...I-I...no, we can't. We're childhood friends. It'd be weird."

"So are you and Sora, but here you are, pining for him since we were 6."

"..." Namine's eyes sadly shifted to the side. "Why are you doing this?" she asked, on the verge of tears, "Always poking fun at me and making me feel bad... It's not like I chose to feel this way about him. I just...do." As she spoke, a tear rolled down her rosy cheek.

Before he could think about what he was doing, Roxas leaned in and caught the tear with his lips, earning a sharp inhale from the petite blonde. "Then just pretend I'm Sora," he found himself saying. His chest did those strange twists again. "For this lesson anyway. So it's not as weird."

Namine blushed again, trembling at the feeling of Roxas planting butterfly kisses along her cheek and up to the corner of her eye to dry the tears there, too. _What the heck is going on?! He-he's...Roxas is kissing my cheek!'_ Strangely, rather than disgusted, she felt warm all over. Spots of skin his lips made contact with felt tingly and her body did very little to resist him. "That's...still pretty weird," she finally admitted, nearly breathless.

"Namine," Roxas said more clearly this time, "It's up to you." He pulled away and looked straight into her eyes. "Do you want to learn what a real kiss is? I'm not going to force anything on you. I'm not that much of an asshole."

"It's going to be my first kiss," Namine sniffed, wiping her other eye. "I've always read in stories that first kisses were supposed to be magical and shared with the person you love. In that sense...I don't really know..."

Roxas tensed, the ache in his chest worsening. "My first kiss wasn't with the girl I love," he confessed. He shifted away some, finally putting some bit of distance between them.

"But wasn't Xion your first? I always thought you liked her."

"...we only dated for a few months. It didn't work out but at least we're still good friends. I have a feeling a little bit of her resents me for it, though, since I was the one who broke it off."

"I remember... You were kind of a mess for a while after that." Namine fidgeted with her fingers, suddenly feeling shy. "But who _do_ you love if it's not Xion?"

Roxas looked over at her, one knee propped up on the couch. ' _Love, huh? Does it have to do with these the weird feelings?'_ His resting elbow hid his flushed face as he mumbled, "Not like it matters. She's not interested in me."

Namine, now very curious, leaned towards him with wide eyes. "You totally like someone!" she pointed out excitedly, "Tell me! Who is it?"

"No."

"Come on, Roxas, we've been friends since forever! I really want to know! She's got to be really special if she's got you all worked up like this. Is it...that other girl you hang out with? Olette?"

"...you're an idiot," Roxas sighed and stood from his seat. He put on his white shirt and proceeded to pack his things when a hand stopped him.

"Tell me!" Namine persisted.

Shaking, Roxas roughly snatched his wrist from her hold. "Namine, just drop it!" he nearly shouted, "Like I said, she's not interested in me so it doesn't matter!"

Namine immediately pulled away, taken back by Roxas' sudden change in tone. "Oh... I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to annoy you."

Roxas finally caught himself but it was too late. All his pent up frustration had leaked and caused him to lash out at the last person he wanted to show his feelings to. Gathering himself, he put on his best smile and gave Namine a pat on the head. "Uh..n-no, I'm sorry," he stammered, "It was my fault. I don't think I got enough sleep last night, y'know...being on a narrow couch and all. I'm just tired."

Namine nodded. "Sure. Um...I think I'm just going to wait for Sora. To give my first kiss to, that is. So..." Her cheeks reddened as she avoided Roxas' gaze.

"That's fine," Roxas replied rather quickly, taking his hand back. "Whatever you decide. You know what's best for you. Sorry about earlier also...with the weird...cheek...thing. Like I said, I'm tired." He threw on his satchel and headed for the door. "I'll see if I can come back later to give you a run through of cell division again. I just need to finish some homework for Monday so my schedule can be free. And I'll squeeze in fencing earlier, too."

"Sounds good," Namine said dejectedly, "Good luck with everything then."

"Hey."

"What?"

"Don't be mad, okay? I said I was sorry."

"I'm not."

"...alright then. See you later."

"Yeah, sure! See you." Namine waited until Roxas made his exit before slumping back into the couch and scowling. "Overly sensitive jerk."


	7. Our Bond

**The Knight and the Witch**

 _A Kingdom Hearts Fanfiction_

The gymnasium was filled with scuffles and grunts as fencing participators danced across the floor. From one of the mats, Hayner and Roxas had made the corner their own- piling extra mats and duffel bags to add 'environmental advantage' to their sparring session. Hayner found his footing and took the first thrust of his saber, only for Roxas to gracefully jump backwards and atop a mat pile. "Running away already?" Hayner sneered.

"Just trying to see how I can knock you out with one blow!" Roxas jeered back and jumped down with saber ready. "En garde!" He motioned a downward thrust, aiming for the red spot on Hayner's chest. As expected, the agile boy dodged. Smirking, Roxas twisted his body into a midair roll, forcefully changing the angle of his attack.

Hayner staggered back as Roxas' saber neared him. Quickly, he picked up one of the duffel bags from the floor and used it to block the attack. As soon as the bag deflected the saber, the light weapon bent at a curve and bounced violently back.

Roxas blinked in surprise. Before he could retort, his body met the floor and the saber flew from his hand. Groaning, he dizzily stood up and removed his mask to rub his nose. "Shit!" he cursed, "What the heck, Hayner?"

"He-hey...you were coming at me pretty quick," Hayner said with a nervous laugh, "It was just...instinct."

Roxas glared at Hayner, still rubbing his sore nose. "Well your instincts suck! I could have broken something."

"...shut up. Quit being a baby."

"Fine. Want to play grown up?" Roxas put his mask back on and picked up a second saber from the rack. He masterfully spun the sabers in both hands, bringing them down to his sides in an offensive stance. "Let's play grown up."

Hayner took some steps back, readying his own saber. "Roxas, don't do it," Hayner warned, "You already know that's not what Mr. Eraqus taught us." It was too late- Roxas was already charging at him. Gritting his teeth, Hayner parried the oncoming attacks, turning and squatting as he defended. "Dude-"

"Quit being a baby," Roxas mocked and landed another set of spin-thrust attacks.

Grinning, Hayner let his restrictions go and executed a riposte to regain his stance. He attempted some lunges, but Roxas easily dodged and parried all of them. He had to admit, when it came to footwork, Roxas was up there with the best. He was often praised by visiting alumni fencers Setzer, Terra, and Aqua and had even mastered dual wielding. "What _can't_ you do?" Hayner blurted.

Roxas brought his sabers back for another charged strike. "Like I'd tell you. Your defense could use some work, though." And with that, he stepped forward for a feint, successfully causing Hayner to flinch. Smirking, he then used his palms to support himself as he then spun to a helicopter kick, toppling the other teen down.

Hayner gasped as the air was literally knocked out of him. After regaining his senses, he peered down to see the tip of Roxas' saber resting on the red target spot of his suit. He sighed and glared at the blonde skater. "That's enough practice for me today," he breathed and pushed the saber away. He rose to his feet and took off his mask, wiping sweat from his brow. Roxas did the same whilst laughing and giving Hayner a pat on the back.

"Hey, chickenwuss!" A taller and older student with light blonde, combed back hair approached the two. Compared to them, he was definitely more muscular and the scar on his face glowered just as intimidatingly as his piercing, turquoise eyes. He held up his saber to them and angrily stated, "What the hell are you losers doing? You're messing up my gym! And how many times do I have to tell you, blondie, that handling two sabers is not allowed? Get it through your thick head!"

"My bad, _Captain,"_ Roxas rolled his eyes, "If it's not allowed, then why did Mr. Eraqus show me the technique then, hm? It's meant to be used."

"Look, prick. It's not for fencing! You almost bent them! You attack with thrusts, not by swinging it like some lunatic."

Hayner shook his head, annoyed at the continuous nagging. "Get that thong out of your ass, Seifer," he spat venomously, "It's not like we killed anyone."

Seifer turned to Hayner with wide, raging eyes as Roxas bent over laughing. Boiling with anger, he threw aside his mask and pointed his saber at Hayner. "Oh, I will," he said through gritted teeth, "And I'm going to shit in it and make you eat it, too."

Now it was Hayner's turn to take offense. He, too, threw his mask aside and held up his saber, ready to attack.

Roxas, noticing that the situation was getting dangerous, stepped in between the two, holding his hands up to keep them apart. "Guys, stop," he protested, "Mr. Eraqus will skewer both of you if he caught you fighting here. Not to mention you'd definitely break our equipment." His words fell on deaf ears as the angry teens lunged at each other, knocking Roxas onto the floor.

Suddenly, a larger figure sliced through the air as his hands caught both sabers, putting them to a halt. Before Hayner or Seifer could react, the same figure turned a quick pivot, successfully separating swords from wielders. "That's enough!" he bellowed, "Hayner! Seifer! Roxas! Have you learned nothing until now?"

The boys addressed looked up into the burning eyes of their teacher. "Mr. Eraqus!" they gasped. One by one, they stood, brushing the dust from the their once snow-white fencing uniforms.

Their fencing instructor, internationally renowned as a fencing master, approached the three and pulled Seifer aside. "This is not how a Captain directs his team," he chastised, "You are disgracing our school's name with your antics!"

Wincing, Seifer's fist shook as he took in his instructor's scolding. But before he could protest, a blur of brown ran by, knocking him back down. "What the shit?!" he blurted.

"Seifer!" Eraqus scolded again.

"S-s-sorry!"

"Sora?!" It was Roxas' turn to blurt. He now stood face to face with his brother who looked back at him with an overly enthusiastic expression. "What are you doing here? And with Mr. Eraqus?"

"Oh hey, Roxas!" Sora greeted, "I should have guessed you'd be in the fencing team. I was taking a tour around the school to see what kinds of sports were available and I happened to bump into Mr. Eraqus here. He's pretty cool!"

Eraqus glanced between the two. "You two know each other?"

Roxas began removing his uniform with a grimace. _'Again.'_ "We're brothers," he muttered before turning to Hayner. "Hey, let's go. I'm done with practice today, too." He shot Sora one last, seemingly scornful look before walking away and removing the rest of his garments.

Sora frowned. He was not often offended by simple gestures. Heck, most people pegged him as a 'completely oblivious idiot' for not noticing a lot of things. However, this was different. He thought Roxas was just a busybody lately and a reputed distant person, but something was off. It felt as though his mere presence offended the glum teen and, in consequence, it was beginning to annoy him.

Hayner seemed to sense the tension and removed his uniform as well. "Whatever," was all he responded with as he followed Roxas suit.

"Well, that's a shame," Eraqus mused, "I half expected Roxas to give a demonstration of some fencing techniques for you, Sora."

"I can do it, Mr. Eraqus," Seifer volunteered.

Eraqus directed a piercing glare towards the teen, stating firmly, "Seifer, along with decent fencing skills and outstanding endurance, you have leadership qualities in you. As crass as they may be, with a little help, they can be refined. Roxas has more grace and control over his sabers, making him a formidable foe in both offense and defense. He is also the most nimble in footwork. Unfortunately, his lone wolf personality and unconventional tactics ruin any hope of him becoming Captain."

Seifer, absolutely livid at hearing Eraqus' critique, turned a bright shade of red. Counter to that, Sora beamed at hearing a good report on his brother's skills, but was once again concerned upon remembering the scornful look Roxas gave him earlier. "It was nice to meet you, Mr. Eraqus," he said, "I just remembered I have to do something so I have to get going from here. See you around, Seifer!" He waved at them and took off into a sprint after the skater.

* * *

"Roxas! Hey, Roxas! Wait up!"

Roxas and Hayner stopped in their tracks and looked back to see Sora making a mad dash their way. Hayner gave his friend a pat on the shoulder. "I'll catch you later then, Roxas," he stated and walked off in another direction.

"Ditcher," Roxas grumbled and put on his best straight face as he turned back to the brunette. "Ah... Hey, Sora. I still need to talk with Xion and Axel before tutoring Namine so can we make this quick?" He was taken back by Sora's ominously dark expression. His brother's usual smile was nowhere to be seen and his body stood rigid as though ready to push back a storm. "...what's up?"

"Don't 'what's up' me!" Sora spoke sharply, "Cut the bullshit, Roxas!"

Roxas' shoulders tensed. _'Again.'_ "What are you talking about?" he challenged.

"I _know_ you've been avoiding me. Look, I don't know what I did to make you hate me so much, but quit acting like a kid and just tell me straight out. What's your problem?"

"I don't have a problem, alright? Don't act like everything is about you because it's not."

Sora's eyes softened into sadness upon hearing those words. Roxas' brows furrowed as he shifted his gaze to the side. "What...happened to us..." Sora barely whispered, "We used to be so close. Roxas, why won't you just talk to me?"

Roxas heaved a long sigh. Truthfully, he hadn't meant to be so brusque with Sora, but he was finding it harder to oppress his resentment each passing day. Putting aside his pride, he held his brother's shoulders. "Sorry," he said in a low voice, "Honestly, I feel like you're too involved in my life."

A look of confusion plastered onto Sora's face. "What? I haven't seen you all year... How am I too involved in your life?"

"..." Roxas froze. In an attempt to relieve some guilt, he dug himself into a deeper hole. There was no way he could tell Sora that Namine always bringing him up in every conversation was the real root of his irritation. "...y-you're always texting me and calling me and stuff," he quickly uttered, "It gets annoying."

"Well sorry if I just really wanted to talk to you!" Sora pouted. He could not help but smile again. For some reason, it brought him so much relief that Roxas' resentment was on a petty surface level rather than deep and complicated. Their relationship could be fixed in no time, he just needed a new strategy to get through to Roxas.

Roxas mentally congratulated himself on successfully passing off a half truth. As expected, Sora swallowed it all up and was now grinning like an idiot again.

"I really needed your advice," Sora continued, "I haven't been able to act on it at all since you didn't answer. And it'd be a terrible idea if I talked to Riku since he's too close to the matter."

"...advice for what? What matter?"

Sora's eyes lit up as he excitedly replied, "I think I like Kairi!"

Roxas' own eyes widened at this. Though he already had a hunch about his brother's feelings years prior, he did not expect such an honest admittance to them. "Oh..." he managed to say, "Re-really? You think?"

"Well...yeah. That's why I needed your advice." Sora touched his chest. "I've noticed that whenever she's around she makes my heart feel...ticklish. I'm always excited around her or even thinking about seeing her and I've always thought she was really cute, especially when she smiles. And her hair..."

"Get to the point."

"Yeah! So...since you've had a couple girlfriends before... I just want to know- are these feelings real?"

"...what."

"Is this how it feels to really like someone?"

For some reason, Roxas' voice was stuck. After hearing Sora's description of his ridiculous 'feelings,' the first person he thought of was not any of his past girlfriends. It wasn't even Xion to whom he had given his first kiss. Instead, he instinctively touched his lips at remembering the sensation Namine's tears left on them. He also remembered how shyly she'd tuck her fine hair behind her ears, act coy, then amusingly lash out at her own frustrations and cry again. And once more, he remembered how she pressed her body to his when trying to retrieve his phone, how close they were in that old classroom, how much her heart constantly ached and how he wanted more than anything to mend it-

"Roxas?"

Roxas blinked away his thoughts to find Sora looking at him with a tilted head.

"Are you okay?" Sora asked uncertainly.

Roxas remained silent, now anxiously looking all around him. He realized too late that his own heart was beating rapidly again. The only other sensation he felt now though was in his legs- the urge to run.

Sora smirked. "Hey...don't tell me... You _like_ someone, don't you?"

"What? Don't be stupid! Where are you getting that from?" Roxas mentally cursed himself. He was answering too fast and his voice was shaky. Being fully aware of these faults also made his head temperature rise, so much that he could swear his ears were steaming.

"Who's the lucky girl?" Sora asked eagerly, now shaking Roxas by the shoulders. "Is she cute? Will we like her? How'd you meet? We've gotta see-"

"Shut up!" Roxas snapped, tearing himself away from Sora's grasp. He stumbled back but caught himself just in time. "See? This is what I mean by you're too involved! Lay off!"

"But Roxas..."

"Quit being annoying and sort your sappy feelings out yourself! Stupid, annoying brother..." Roxas turned on his heel and stomped off, ear still steaming. He attempted to hide his face with the palm of his hand, but even under his fingertips he could feel how hot he really was.

Sora, rather than insulted, began laughing. "I'll get you to tell me somehow!" he vowed.

 _'I hate him. I hate him. I hate him.'_ Roxas picked up speed, turning a corner from the gym and-

"Roxas!" a voice squeaked.

Roxas met a matching pair of blue eyes that belonged to none other than Namine. She looked breathless, her chest rising and falling as beads of sweat trailed down her face. His ears felt warm again.


	8. Our Just Desserts

**The Knight and the Witch**

 _A Kingdom Hearts Fanfiction_

"Eh? So Roxas really likes someone?"

"And we mean liiiiike-like. As in super like!"

"Whoa! Tell us! Who is it? Who?"

"No wonder he dumped me. He had someone on the side this whole time!"

"He doesn't like to talk about her. He gets all angsty and stuff."

Roxas groaned from his pillow, not daring to peer beyond his bed where a group of teenagers sat and shared lucidly audible whispers about him. How the heck did his groups of friends merge so easily anyway? They just met and here they all were, already drilling for answers about his love life of all things. "Get out!" he snarled at them.

"Told you," Sora and Namine shook their heads.

"Temper, temper, Roxas," Axel snickered, "Why so secretive anyway? We're all friends here. So just tell us- who is she?"

Rolling his eyes, Roxas planted the pillow on his head and laid back down. "When are you guys going to get over this?"

Xion peeled the pillow away from Roxas' face, grinning slyly at him. "As soon as you spill," she teased, "I've never seen you this worked up before. Your face is as red as Axel's hair!" She laughed and stepped back as the blonde immediately sat up in an attempt to catch her in a headlock. "And I cant believe you never brought Namine around more often. She's super chill compared to you."

Axel winked at Namine. "And way cuter, too," he added.

Namine blushed in response, tucking loose strands of hair behind her ear. "Thank you," she giggled.

"People say you're just a stuck up rich kid," Axel pointed out, "But actually, you're just a chill and socially inept person. Why not try clearing your name?"

Sora looked at Namine in surprise. "Eh? Why stuck up? You're a really nice person!"

"It's not like I do it on purpose!" Namine assured them. She clutched the hem of her skirt to calm her shaking voice. "It's just...I don't know. I meet new people and I lose my voice. During group projects, I avoid putting people in awkward positions to include me in their group so I always work alone. And I'm terrible at public speaking."

"So in other words...you're extremely shy," Xion concluded.

"Mm-hm."

"Well that's all about to change!" Sora wrapped his arm around Namine, giving her a reassuring pat on the head. "It's a new year and we're going to make sure you introduce a new you. Riku, Kairi, Roxas, and even Axel and Xion now."

Namine nodded, blushing even more. "I'm going to see a lot of changes through this year, I promise." She paused for a moment, gazing into Sora's sincere eyes in wonder. He was so close. "...a-and S-So-Sora? I, um, I..." Biting her lower lip, she slowly leaned in.

 _BAM!_ Sora's arm released its hold as he flew backwards, a pillow now attached to his face. Namine froze, staring in disbelief at what just happened. Also shocked, Axel and Xion warily turned their heads to the direction the pillow came from and found Roxas rubbing his shoulder.

Hiding his scowl, Roxas casually stretched and crawled over to where Sora once sat. "Ah, sorry about that, bro," he apologized almost sarcastically, "I didn't mean to throw it in your direction. It was just in my way."

Axel raised a skeptical eyebrow. It was very unlike Roxas to do something as impulsive as to assault his brother with a pillow out of the blue. His serpent-like eyes studied the skater further; slightly tinted cheeks, ice-cold blue eyes spewing animosity, a protective shoulder leaning subconsciously towards Namine...

"What the heck was that for?!" Sora fumed, jumping to his feet and throwing the pillow back.

"I told you- it was an accident," Roxas grumbled and shoved the pillow onto the bed.

"Hold up," Xion interceded, "We almost lost focus on the topic at hand. Roxas, you still haven't told us who your secret crush is."

Roxas glared daggers Xion's way, mouthing a "Shut it, fool!"

"She's probably not that great," Namine provoked, turning away from Roxas and pursing her lips. "Since you're so tight-lipped about her."

Roxas looked at Namine, his eyes dancing around her figure. "You're right," he shrugged, "She really isn't. In fact, she whines a lot, she's an airhead, clumsy, awkward, not at all assertive...and nothing about her looks turn me on at all."

The other teens winced at his description. "Are you sure you don't _hate_ the poor girl?" Xion questioned, placing her hands on her hips and tilting her head.

A small smile graced Roxas' lips as he quietly added, "I'm pretty sure I don't."

Sora, Namine, and Xion all snapped their heads towards Roxas in expectation. Axel stuffed his hands into his pockets, not missing a single beat in Roxas' all-telling body language. "And?" he encouraged with a smirk.

The smile quickly slid off Roxas' face. "There is no 'and,'" he concluded, "I repeat: lay off."

"You have a weird way of liking someone," Sora laughed, "It's like...elementary school level."

Xion blushed, nervously asking, "Was that how you felt about me when you asked me out?"

"Not really," Roxas admitted with a neutral tone, "I just thought you were cool to hang with. Well, that, and you were the only one I really talked to in the Council aside from Axel, so..."

"How do you guys just casually bring up your past relationship like that," Axel scratched his head, shifting uncomfortably against the wall he was leaning on. "It's so...awkward."

Worried, Namine placed her hand on Roxas' shoulder. "Roxas," she pleaded, "You _have_ to tell this girl how you feel! You obviously love her!"

 _'Love.'_ That word seemed to keep popping up now. Roxas avoided Namine's gaze for a moment, his chest tightening. "Love, huh?"

"Yes!" Sora and Namine happily confirmed, beaming at their glum friend.

Axel tapped his chin in thought, his suspicions growing. "So why haven't you asked her out?" he egged on, "It's not like you're shy or unpopular with the ladies." His brows danced as he sang the last word, grinning from ear to ear.

Roxas first looked at Axel, then Sora, Xion, and then back at Namine. She had a sympathetic look on her face, obviously pitying his unanswered feelings. His shoulder felt like it was being scorched now. "Because life sucks," he finally said, hastily removing Namine's hand.

Namine sat transfixed. It was for a quick second, but she knew she saw something in Roxas' eyes from the dejected gaze he gave her before leaving the bed. What puzzled her more was that, reflexively, her hand reached out to touch the spot he was just sitting on.

"Can we get out of my place now?" Roxas crankily urged before more questions could be thrown at him. "I just came here to get some change of clothes. It's too cramped for socializing. Get out, all of you. Out!"

"Party pooper!" Sora whined, "Just let us hang out here a while longer. It's comfy." He was about to lay down on the bed but was quickly yanked back up.

Roxas glared at the blue-eyed smiley face in front of him. "Especially you. Out! Shoo!"

Everyone practically crawled out of Roxas' dorm room, groaning and moaning about Roxas' poor treatment of guests.

Xion stated something about 'ex-girlfriend rights' to knowing Roxas' future crushes and Roxas retorted, saying that she didn't have such rights. During the exchange, Namine took her chance to pick up her pace and walk beside Sora, making idle chit chat which he pleasantly went along with.

Axel, lacking a partner, turned back to converse with the others, but instead watched with interest as Roxas' attention almost instantly left Xion and landed right on Namine and Sora. He was still trying to maintain a reciprocating discussion with Xion, but mainly scowling and impatiently shoving his hands into his pockets. Then, to Axel's surprise, Roxas promptly quickened his stride and squeezed himself in between the pair, mumbling, "It's rude to leave your friends behind," and catching Namine by the elbow as she almost tripped from his sudden intrusion. Axel grinned again.

"Rude?" Sora piped up, "You just threw us all out with 'shoo' and 'get out.' If anyone is rude here, it's you."

"Oh, hey, Kairi! Riku!" Roxas smirked after sending his greeting.

Sora jumped at Kairi's name, whirling around to see the two waiting for them by the steps outside. Kairi smiled warmly their way and he could have sworn his belly just did a hundred flips. "Ka-..Kairi... Riku! Hi!" he squeaked lamely. He remembered his talk with Roxas from earlier and instantly reddened.

Once again, Roxas introduced Axel and Xion to Kairi and Riku and vice versa. Not surprisingly, they easily dove into conversations which, to his annoyance, led to Riku and Kairi sneering, "Oooh, you like someone, Roxas?" A simple glare answered for him.

* * *

"Welcome to Bon-Appetit!"

Sora, Kairi, and Riku looked around in awe upon arriving in one of Twilight U Academy's famed and 'modest' cafe. The decoration was a mix of modern and vintage that donned a palette of warm colors, creating a welcoming atmosphere upon first impression. Luckily, the overall setting was very casual so no one's wallet felt pressured from just being inside the cafe. Like a group of elementary kids on a field trip, the trio bounded to the counter to check out the menu. "I guess we'll find seats then," Roxas suggested.

Nodding meekly, Namine walked with him to an empty booth fit for a group of 6. He stepped to the side to let her sit first. As she settled into the cushions, her eyes flicked back to Sora, Kairi, and Riku bombarding the poor cashier with orders, jumping on top of one another to get their own orders in first. She smiled fondly at them, muttering, "It's a shame Xion and Axel couldn't join us. I would have liked it if our old and new friends could get along more."

Roxas slid into the booth after her. "It can't be helped. Unlike me, they're too dedicated to doing paperwork for the Council." He frowned when he felt something pushing him from the side. Raising a brow, he found the culprit to be Namine, pouting at him as usual.

"Move!" she huffed, attempting to push him again.

A mix of annoyance and amusement stirred within Roxas as he lazily waved her off. "Quit flailing, nerd. I found this booth so I can sit anywhere I want." And with that, he planted himself into the cushions more firmly, sticking his tongue out at the frustrated girl.

"Of all the places, why beside me?" Namine growled back, "You know as well as I do that I want to get closer to Sora!"

"Hm, do I know that?" Roxas feigned a thoughtful pause. "Yes, yes I do."

"Urrrghhh!"

Namine was punching him at this point but of course, as light as she was, Roxas swore he could feel more fight from a feather duster. Rolling his eyes, he was about to comply until he saw Sora, Kairi, and Riku making their way to the booth. For reasons unknown, he froze in place, watching with wide eyes how Sora candidly blushed in and savored Kairi's attention. She returned the gesture, giggling much more often and purposely brushing her knuckles against Sora's as they walked. It was subtle, but Roxas was keen enough to catch her hints.

Seeing their friends coming closer, Namine began to panic. "Roxas, please!" she begged, trying to keep her voice in a whisper, "I want to sit next to Sora! Don't be like this..."

Clenching his hands into fists under the table, Roxas deadpanned her with a simple "No" and sat back into the cushions. An awkward silence followed, making him avert her gaze. Nevertheless, he could feel her antipathy burning him from the back and up to his head. To his relief, Sora, Kairi, and Riku finally arrived at the booth, Sora and Kairi slipping into the opposite side first.

Glancing back and forth, Riku settled his sights on the extra space on Roxas' and Namine's side. "Mind if I sit here?" he asked with a toothy grin.

Roxas bent down and rubbed his knee, groaning, "Ah...sorry, man. I think I really messed something up in my leg today. It hurts a lot right now. Ow, ow, ow!"

"Oh...damn, sorry. I hope it's not something too serious." Shrugging, Riku strode to Sora and Kairi's booth instead. Sora happily made space for his best friend, feeling giddier at now having an excuse to sit closer to Kairi.

"Are you okay?" Kairi inquired with genuine concern. She began rummaging through her tote bag. "I have an ointment you can use. It really helps with muscle p-"

"Er, it's okay, Kairi, thanks," Roxas assured her, putting his hands up. "I'm just...going to ice it when I get home. This has happened before so I'm somewhat used to- YOW! What the fu-" He realized his sudden outburst and clamped his mouth shut. Though, a searing pain was now shooting up his leg, radiating from his shin.

Gasping rather sarcastically, Namine brought a hand to her lips. "You sure don't sound fine to me." She landed another good kick on the skater's shin, causing him to jump in his seat. "You should get that checked, Roxas!"

Roxas bit his lip at the second strike, putting some distance between him and the vicious, kicking nymph. "Ye-yeah," he struggled to get out, "I think I will. And I also think flamingos need to learn their place!" Furtively, he launched a counterattack by jabbing his index and middle finger into her side, causing her to yelp and twist her body away. He smirked in triumph only to lose it when his shin received its third assault.

Sora, Kairi, and Riku looked on as the blondes simultaneously doubled over in pain, practically clawing at the cushions they sat in. What was this about flamingos? "The pink bird?" Riku thought out loud, more confused at hearing his own thought. If there was some sort of illness going on, it seemed highly contagious.

The waitress soon rolled in with desserts at hand. "And here we are!" she announced, cheerily setting down each treat. "Mango'a'Go Roll, Sweet-smooch Sundae, and Choco-Choco crepe cake! Enjoy!" She bowed and pranced off.

Aside form the obvious sundae, the other two were colorful cakes glistening with flavor. The desserts shared one thing in common; all were quite 'overdone' with icing decorations, tasty Pocky sticks, and marshmallow kebabs stuck into them. Riku was the first to pick at the Mango'a'Go Roll, forking the sweet, diced mangoes into his mouth. "Tacky," he chewed, "But it's pretty tasty." Smiling, he reached in for another bite.

Sora and Kairi had their try on the Sweet-smooch Sundae, grinning upon tasting the creamy, sugary goodness melt in their mouths. "This really _is_ tasty!" Sora complimented, "Good call, Kairi."

"I'm a sucker for pink and strawberries," Kairi proudly admitted, bringing another teaspoon of ice cream to her lips.

A distinct bickering suddenly arose, silencing the three friends and turning their attentions back to their blonde companions from across the table. "It's mine!" Namine pointed at the crepe. Or rather, the chocolate Pocky sticks arranged on it.

"Get real!" Roxas defied, "I _always_ get the chocolate ones so it's mine!" Without wasting another second, he snatched one of the three sticks and gobbled it down.

"Oh!" Namine heaved in anger and took the second stick, stuffing it into her mouth.

"You eat like an ogre."

"You look like a mole rat!"

"Hey, hey!" Riku stood up in an attempt to referee the two. "Enough already! What's gotten into you two? You're acting like brats and causing a scene."

Roxas and Namine almost instantly found their calm and grudgingly turned away from each other, crossing their arms over their chests. Curious, Kairi pointed her teaspoon at them. "Why don't you guys just...share? It would mean less fighting, that's for sure."

Namine grimaced, puffing her cheeks. "...it's not about the dessert," she muttered grumpily.

" _That_ we can agree on," Roxas confirmed, resting his chin on the edge of his palm, still refusing to make eye contact with Namine.

Feeling the atmosphere souring, Sora pushed the crepe plate closer towards the two. If he knew anything for sure, it was that food brought people together. This time was no different. "We're all probably just trying to adjust to each other again," he reasoned, "C'mmon, guys. Let's just try to have a good time today, alright?"

Though still brooding, Namine could not refuse an offer from Sora. She smiled weakly at him and poked at the crepes. Roxas only rolled his eyes again, having lost his appetite.

In no time, the friends were mellow again. Riku was describing a story about a wooden sword spar with Tidus and how close the match was. Sora would pipe up in between to mention how he could take both of them on with ease. Kairi would poke fun at both of them, joking at how she would always come out the victor between the three of them. This was the pattern, Roxas concluded, finding himself staring at the three. They had their own world- always did. It just felt sadder realizing it as a 'grown up.'

"It's like they have their own world," Namine suddenly whispered, surprising Roxas. She looked up at him with a small grin. "You were thinking it, too, right?"

Roxas slowly nodded. "Just a feeling I get form watching them."

"I guess one year apart just made it more so. Too bad it didn't do the same for us, huh?" Namine's eyes remained on Sora as he responded enthusiastically to Riku's story. Then, Kairi tapped him on the shoulder to whisper in his ear. A secret? Namine could feel her chest aching at seeing Sora's cheeks redden and him chuckling at whatever Kairi was telling him. _'I want to know, too...'_ She continued to watch longingly as her fingers found the Pocky stick and carefully guided it to her mouth.

"...really."

"Hm?" Namine hummed and glanced to her side.

"Are you sure about that?" Suddenly, she felt her chin being lifted, the chocolate stick nearly falling from her lips when Roxas took hold of the other end with his own. Her eyes widened as his sapphire orbs burrowed into her. There it was again- the same passionate stare he sometimes gave her before. And, like before, it left as quickly as it came, a forlorn glint taking its place. Her breath hitched when he took more of the Pocky into his mouth, their distance closing. Then, he smirked and bit down sharply, breaking the treat and finally retreating into his seat. She sat with her mouth now gaping, feeling utterly dumbfounded.

Roxas masked his growing blush with the palm of his hand, averting her gaze once more. "Thanks for sharing," he mumbled.

Namine looked down to find the Pocky piece she held in her mouth now in crumbs on the tiled floor. She turned away from Roxas, using her bangs to hide her tomato-red face. "What the heck?" she asked herself, "Stupid Roxas. He's doing weird things again! What if they saw...?" Secretly, she hoped at least Sora had seen it just to observe how he would react. However, she looked up to find that the three were still too absorbed in their own conversation, paying no heed to what just transpired across from them. Her shoulders slumped in disappointment. "I guess not."

Sighing, Roxas continued to watch the trio's conversation as well. Out of curiosity, he cautiously peeked over at Namine. He was not sure what he was seeking in doing so, but to his dread and thrill, their eyes met again. As though unnerved by an electric shock, both teens jerked from their positions and looked away from each other again. _'This is bad. This is really bad.'_ Roxas buried his heated face in his hands.


	9. Our Sleepover

**The Knight and the Witch**

 _A Kingdom Hearts Fanfiction_

The room was almost deafly quiet, the only sound eminating being that of Namine's wall clock. On her lap sat the same dreaded Biology book that she had been pretending to read through for the past half hour. Her eyes warily scanned the room only to come to halt on Roxas' own glaring back at her. "What?!" she whined, throwing him an equally detestable glare. "I'm studying, look!"

Roxas, donning a simple black sweatshirt and grey cargo shorts, simply blew a bit of hair from his lips, redirecting his attention to the "Homer's Odyssey" book in his hand. "I didn't say anything," he coolly replied.

"You keep giving me that look like you have no faith in what I'm doing."

"You don't really do much to convince me otherwise," Roxas deflected again, hiding a smirk with his book.

Namine fired back a pout. "Besides, why do I have to study Biology while you get the easier subject of Literature?" Frustrated, she flipped through a couple more pages. "I don't get _any_ of this. Meiosis, mitosis, cell mutation... X and Y's? Ugh, I could be doing better things right now. Like drawing!" She slammed the heavy book shut, pushed it away, and used the newly emptied space to lay down on her belly. The cool sheets met her cheeks, making her nearly envious that her book had the luxury to sit on such comfort for this long. Before she knew it, fatigue began to creep in, lulling her to slumber.

The bed suddenly sank under new weight beside her, causing Namine's to raise her head quickly. Her forehead met Roxas' hand which gently pushed her back down. To her shock, he also settled on his stomach while bringing their head levels down to the same level.

Roxas opened the Biology book again and mumbled, "So what was it again? Mitosis?" Failing to receive a response, he shot her an exasperated stare. "Ask me if you don't understand something. That's what I'm here for, loser." A small tear collected in his eye as he threw his head back and yawned. He then glanced up at the clock to find it now read 10:48 P.M. Passing on a comment, he simply closed his eyes to ease the sleep away.

Namine blushed furiously at how close their faces were. Any normal girl's first reaction would be to push him off the bed and scold him for deliberately invading her personal space, but she found his presence to be strangely...warm. It was then she realized that his hand that once rested on her head had now slung lazily over her shoulder, keeping her in place. She honed in on the lone tear resting on the corner of his eye and gently brushed it away with her finger. As expected, he jumped at her touch and snapped his head her way, now wide-eyed and startled. "...hey," she whispered.

"Hm...?" Roxas grunted, relaxing himself a little.

Using her shoulder to shrug off his slung arm only worsened the position as it now wrapped loosely around her waist and Roxas made no attempt to remove it. "I know we're childhood friends and all," Namine articulated, trying to push her awkward thoughts away. "But are you always this...erm, close...with all your female friends? You're constantly in my face."

A smirk tugged on Roxas' lips. "I meant Biology questions, not inquiries about me."

"I'm serious," Namine grumbled, "I mean...it's fine since I know you. But if it's with other people, they might misunderstand your intentions, you know? You might make the girl you like really sad."

"What about you?" Roxas mused. His hand firmly gripped her waist, earning a gasp from her. "After all these years, you bring this up _now_?"

Namine's eyes widened, slight panic and uncertainty rushing into her. "What are you-" She gasped again as Roxas suddenly flipped her onto her back, his hands pinning her wrists down on both sides. Her eyes darted left and right, her body struggling to regain the strength to sit up and oppose the boy.

"You're too careless," Roxas went on, gazing into her cerulean irises with a grimace. As though entranced by some other force, he pried her trembling legs apart with his knee and shifted in between them, his chest now hovering lightly above hers.

"Roxas, this isn't funny," Namine's hot breath escaped her as she realized the dire helplessness of her position.

Roxas' frown deepened as he quietly said, "I'm not trying to be." His grip tightened on her wrists, making her wince in pain. "Sometimes, I feel like you forget that I'm just a regular guy, too." He lowered himself, her chest now pressed up against his. "And yet, you still invite me into your bedroom to study or whatever. You're in the ideal position to be taken advantage of like this." The clock's ticking seemed to echo louder, both teens now nearly panting as they continued to stare at each other. Were it possible, Namine could have sworn she saw Roxas' eyes grow colder. "If you were to become Sora's girlfriend, he'd have a really tough time trusting you like this." Roxas bit his lower lip, his hands shaking slightly.

Surprisingly, Namine's lips curved to a tender smile, her eyes still not leaving his. "But you're not just a regular guy," she stated confidently, "You're Roxas. You'd never do anything like that. Much less hurt me or Sora."

Time stopped. Roxas found himself frigid at Namine's revelation and nearly fell over from the shock. Should he be insulted or flattered? Sighing, he released her wrists and rolled onto his back, scooting some bit away. "Heh," he laughed as he combed his fingers through his dirty blonde tufts and looked up at the ceiling. "You really are hopeless." _Just Roxas, huh. The good friend and brother who can do no wrong.'_ He closed his eyes. _'What a bunch of bullshit.'_

Namine laid on her side to face Roxas, still smiling. "But I get it. I would never be like this with normal guy friends. You're different, though. You're like..."

 _'Don't say it...'_

"An older brother who's always looking out for me!"

If the world and its people were made of marshmallows, Roxas would be the ideal citizen right now because his body suddenly felt like mush. Feeling her eyes still on him, he fought the urge to wince at the unpleasant, cold surge in his chest. "...i-is that so?" he stammered out with a strained grin.

"I mean, you bully me sometimes, in your own way. But for the most part, you look out for me and happen to be very patient with tutoring. So, yeah! You're like an older brother."

This time, his chest contorted more painfully. Gritting his teeth, Roxas turned to his side, facing away from Namine.

Namine blinked in surprise. "Roxas?"

"...I'm sleeping over tonight."

"Huh?!" Namine yelped, "I-I mean, that's fi-fine, but...! At least go sleep in the other room!"

Roxas tucked his hands under his head, curling into a snug yet grumpy ball. "Goodnight," he yawned and shut his eyes.

Namine felt her face temperature rise. "Roxas! This is so...inappropriate!"

"What's the big deal?" he muttered in an annoyed tone, "You said so yourself- we're practically family. So pipe your ass down and let me sleep." His body shook at Namine now kicking him in an attempt to throw him off. _'_ _ **Again**_ _with the kicking!'_ Growling under his breath, he flexed his arms, securing his hold on the bed. "Go sleep on the couch if you hate it here so much, you retarded flamingo!"

"It's _my_ bed, so _you_ go sleep on the couch! ...Ape!"

Roxas nearly snickered at her lame comebacks. He cleared his throat and huffed, "Too bad. I'm tired, overworked, and I've decided to sleep right here, specifically in _this_ spot, so boo-hoo!"

The nerve! Though beyond frustrated, Namine stubbornly held her ground, turning her back on Roxas as well. Once again, her heart thumped violently and she could feel its vibrations on her bed. Her face reddened at the thought of Roxas possibly pointing it out. But to her relief, his breathing steadied and no words left either teen during the next few minutes. Her brows furrowed. _'Did he actually fall asleep?'_

 _"Too bad, Sora. The knight isn't saving any princesses with you. I'm siding with the witch."_

"...heh-heh," Namine reflexively giggled and immediately palmed her mouth shut. _'Why am I remembering this now?'_ She paused a moment, held her breath, and slowly turned around to look at Roxas...only to find him already facing her. ' _When did he..?'_

Roxas slept rather peacefully, his face devoid of any signs of dissatisfaction or sarcasm. Namine smiled fondly at this rare sight, wishing she could see gentle expressions from him more often. Alas, this was as close to one as she was going to get. As she continued to silently watch him sleep, her body gradually relaxed until finally surrendering to the hypnotizing abyss of night.

 _ **| Saturday afternoon |**_

Sora, Kairi, and Riku stood by the large town clock, impatiently searching the area from pillars to concrete. Kairi glared after the two boys as they unconsciously ventured further away from her, imersed in their search. "Get back here, you guys!" she shouted, "We can't get split up before Roxas and Namine get here!"

Grudgingly, Riku and Sora sighed and dragged themselves back to Kairi. "You don't think they forgot about going to the amusement park today?" Riku thought aloud, rubbing his chin.

"No way!" Sora whipped out his phone. "I've been texting them nonstop since this morning. And it's...10 A.M."

"Oh, 2 hours opening," Riku cooed sarcastically, "Such text. Much wow."

"...shut up, Riku," Sora muttered.

"They're here!" Kairi beamed and waved to an approaching pair from afar. "Hey! Over here! What took you two so..." Her smile collapsed when she saw them up close. "...long?"

A grumbling Roxas held an ice pack to his swollen temple, a nasty scowl imprinted on his face. Meanwhile, Namine's cheeks glowed bright red and she maintained a good meter away from him, nervously rubbing her arm. "Whatever you guys decide to do," Roxas barked, "Take this... _gremlin_ with you! I refuse to be anywhere near her!"

"What..." Kairi tried.

"How dare you?" Namine squeaked, "You're the one who...who..." Her face reddened again. Huffing, she left his proximity and jogged over to Kairi. "I'm sticking with you today."

Kairi looked at the slightly shorter girl with a puzzled expression. "What happened?" she asked again, only to be pulled away by her cardigan sleeve.

"Nothing!" Namine insisted, proceeding to tug Kairi along as she stomped towards Sora and Riku. She dared not look back at the seething Roxas storming after them.

Sora ran up to his brother and noticed the ice pack. "Are you okay?" he asked with genuine concern, "What happened to you?" He reached out to touch the bump and was not surprised to have his hand abruptly swatted away by the blonde. He sighed, shrugging. "Roxas, the ice isn't helping. That bump is growing."

"Gee, thanks, Captain Obvious. I thought this throbbing pain in my head was just the universe's way of tickling me to make sure I have a good morning. Who would have guessed?"

Now annoyed, Sora lost his look of concern. "Why do you always have to be so rude? No wonder you got slugged by who-knows-what."

Roxas pressed the ice pack harder on his injury. He made sure to mentally burn Namine's skull with his menacing glare, even shouting at her in hopes he had telepathic powers strong enough for her to recognize his wrath. It seemed to work since she made the error to glance back at him from the corner of her eye. He used that opportunity to unleash his malicious aura full force, scowling even harder. She jumped and scurried away, determined to keep some distance between them. "Stupid gremlin," he grumbled.

 _ **| Earlier that morning... |**_

Sunlight permeated the room and struck Namine's eyelids, coaxing her to wake. She smiled and snuggled up to the softness of her bed sheets, breathing in the fresh scent of 'mountain breeze' air freshener and...cologne? Though sleep still clung onto her, the groggy girl slowly opened her eyes and blinked. Her bed sheets were normally an organized scheme of blue and white cotton. However, the material she was currently embracing was black and made of polyester. It was also mysteriously radiating heat. She stiffened as memories of hours prior returned to her, prompting her to look up.

A "Homer's Odyssey" book cover lifted to reveal a stoic Roxas peering down at her. "Mornin'," he greeted, "You done wiping your drool on me?"

"R-R-Ro-Rox-" Namine stuttered, blood rushing to her head.

Roxas casually straightened his sweatshirt, peeling the hood from his head to reveal a mess of gold and brown. He tilted his neck for a short scratch, causing his layered bangs to drape over his eyes. "You snore in your sleep, you know that? You should get that checked. Thanks to you, I could _not_ sleep a wink last night."

At that very moment, something in Namine snapped. She grabbed the closest thing to her- the Biology book- and screamed, "Yaaaaaaaaaarrrghhhhh!"

A loud thud followed.


	10. Our One-Sided Love

**The Knight and the Witch**

 _A Kingdom Hearts Fanfiction_

The five teens arrived at their destination- a colorful, balloon-filled park called Moogle Land. "What the heck is a Moogle even supposed to be?" came Riku's usual logic inquiry as they went to retrieve their tickets.

He nearly jumped when Sora popped up from beside him and cheered, "It's this white, plush-looking thing with wings and a red ball atop its head-kupo!"

"...kupo?" Riku questioned again, "How do you even know that? And quit sneaking up on people!"

"It's what all the park patrons are dressed up as."

Looking around, Riku noticed that Sora was right. The park visitors wore either strap-on wings, headbands with a red ball attached, round red noses, or all three for the most hardcore of fans; or so he presumed. The park actors naturally dedicated themselves to full-blown body suits of the white creature, squeaking out 'Kupo!' with each step. He cringed.

Kairi and Namine took it upon themselves to carry the map, considering the group's choices for rides. "We could try the Bubble Trouble," Kairi suggested, "It's pretty close to us and is apparently one of the most popular rides in the park."

Before the group could discuss it, Roxas stepped in and muttered, "It'd be better to do that last since the line won't be as long by then. It's about noon right now so we'll end up wasting 2 hours just standing in line for this one ride."

The other teens squinted their eyes and hissed in sympathy for the skater who now wore a thick bandage on the side of his head, understandably still scowling. "Um...looking good, Roxas," Sora grinned and held a thumb up. He quickly flung it behind his back after earning a snarl for his compliment. "Right! So...Bubble Trouble. Leave it for last. Sounds good to me! What's next on the list then?"

Namine hesitated as she shyly answered, "Um...Sweet-Love Row." Everyone whipped their gazes to her in confusion at suggesting such an intimate ride made for two where one or both participants had control over a single boat's direction as it bobbed down the artificial river. Depending on how a team interpreted the ride, the experience could either be romantic or chaotic. Or both.

A smile stretched across Riku's face. "That's a brilliant idea!"

"Nooooo," Sora and Kairi protested at the same time, leaving Namine puzzled at their vehement refusal of the idea.

"Or better," Roxas cut in, "Bumper Balls." Sora and Riku gave him a disgusted look. "It's not like what it sounds...well, sort of. It's a ride that's good for releasing some tension in you." Their looks only worsened. "Screw you guys. Just...follow me."

The group found themselves being led through the park by Roxas to his favored Bumper Balls ride. They watched as the riders rode literal, giant red balls on wheels and purposely crashed into each other, jerking violently in their seats upon impact. Everyone but Namine jumped in eagerness at getting a turn, Sora and Riku being the first to make a dash for the line. "Come on, Namine!" Kairi urged, "We have to go in the arena as a group. This is going to be so much fun!"

Namine sighed and trudged behind as the giddy girl also ran off in a hurry. She always envied how feminine yet tomboyish Kairi was, making her affable company for any gender crowd. While the burgundy-haired girl graced floodwater jeans, a simple white tank top and pink cardigan, she instead chose to wear a loose, white halter top with baby-blue swirl designs and high-waist light blue denim shorts. With this outfit, she definitely was _not_ looking forward to any sure-to-get-soaked water rides.

It seemed Roxas knew this because he brisk-walked to her, paused, and sneered, "Four hours 'till wet shirt doomsday" before joining the others. She frowned; so this was his master plan all along.

Namine mentally cursed herself as she received another hard hit from the back. It felt like the twentieth time already.

"Fight back, loser!" came one of Roxas' taunts.

Of course. Why did she even expect anything else otherwise? Mustering her courage, she turned her wheel a harsh 180 and got him from the side. Roxas held on to his seat, nearly losing his balance from the sudden counterattack. However, he was faster. Smirking, he angled himself, reversed the vehicle, and rammed full speed for a direct hit on Namine again. She wobbled and dangled over the side, now glaring and baring her teeth at him. "You're dead meat, blondie!" she roared, gripping the wheel.

Roxas returned the gesture. "Why does everyone make that a point? You're blonde, too!"

Unbeknownst to the two, their supposed-to-be guests looked on from a distance as they continued to maul each other, completely forgetting everyone else in the arena. "I've never seen that side of Namine before," Kairi laughed nervously, "It's actually...kind of scary."

Sora nearly jumped from his seat in excitement. "I want to join! It looks like a blast!"

Riku shook his head. "No, no, Sora. I think those two have some...frustrations...to sort out. They've been pretty on-edge today so maybe this will help cool them off for the rest of the outing."

"You might be right," Kairi smiled, her faith renewed. However, as the day went on, she found that same faith quickly diminishing.

Every ride they hopped on, it was the same scenario. The Lolli-Whirl proved disastrous when, in the midst of being swung around in midair, Roxas pulled a flimsy yogurt cup from his pocket and purposely tossed it over his shoulder at a convenient angle. The centripetal force sent the cup flying and hitting its mark on Namine's head, her hair lathered in pink goop. Kairi, who sat next to her, screamed in fright at seeing Namine's glowering face.

In the Moog House, things started well with the five friends harmlessly making goofy faces at the crooked mirrors inside. Somehow, it ended with plenty of name calling and smacking of arms between Roxas and Namine as the group exited the attraction. In the park food court, Roxas loosened the cap on Namine's salt shaker while she was ordering curly-top fries at the counter. For dessert, Namine purposely gave Roxas bubblegum ice cream instead of his favorite sea-salt which coincidentally was about the same color. He abhorred bubblegum-flavored _anything_.

The group even went as far as to ride the Sweet-Love Row in hopes of alleviating the tension between the blondes. Sora, Kairi, and Riku moved up the line to wait for their boat with Roxas and Namine trailing grudgingly after them. Kairi turned around to face the two. "Namine, let's ride together," sounded more like an order than a suggestion. Smiling, Namine gladly nodded in agreement.

"But-" Sora nearly spoke, but stopped himself, blushing.

"Care to be my date?" Riku teased him with a laugh.

"Why, what a gentleman! I'd love to!" Sora mocked back and pretended to curtsy.

Roxas shrugged, walking to another lane. "Good riddance," he breathed, "I'd rather go solo than end up getting drowned by little Ms. Crazy here."

The ride attendant pulled up the next batch of boats. "Please enter cautiously!" he instructed. Sora and Riku nodded and steadily stepped into the first one. After securing them in, the ride attendant turned to Kairi. "Next?"

Before Kairi could comply, Namine stomped away from her and to Roxas. "Namine?"

"Listen, you!" Namine angrily huffed, jabbing a finger into Roxas' shoulder. "You've been harassing me all day and I'm sick of it! So you got hit on the head a little. It doesn't give you an excuse to pick on me!"

"Next?" the ride attendant repeated, a bit more irate this time.

Kairi looked at him anxiously. "Namine!" she attempted to call again, glancing over at the fuming girl.

"You need to get your eyes checked because I'm not doing anything of the sort," Roxas retorted, "I'm just _amusing_ myself today like we're _supposed_ to in an _amusement_ park. Get over yourself." Seeing Kairi's delay, he walked over to the boat. "I'm going first," he informed the attendant.

"Now, wait just a min-" Namine, forgetting her surroundings, lost her balance on the drenched platform and accidentally flew at Roxas, grasping his shirt.

Roxas, nearly losing his own footing, instinctively held her fast before awkwardly stumbling into the boat to save them. "Are you okay?" he asked as they balanced themselves in the seats.

Any traces of animosity between seemed to suddenly disappear. "Ye-yeah...thanks." Namine released her hold and attempted to step off the boat, but was abruptly stopped by the attendant.

"My apologies, miss," he said, "Unfortunately, the ride exit is on the other end of the river. You and/or your partner will have to make your way over there to get off." He helped a disconcerted Kairi into her own boat after and moved on to the other guests.

"I'm so sorry!" Namine cried, feeling a twinge of guilt at having seemingly abandoned Kairi.

Quelling her growing annoyance, Kairi smiled back at Roxas and Namine. "No biggie!" she assured them, "See you on the other side!" Before they knew it, the boats were released into the river.

Roxas claimed responsibility of guiding their boat, experimenting with the silver disc which was the 'oar.' When he spun it left, the boat steadily veered left. The same was true for turning the disc right. "Cool," he murmured with a pleasantly surprised face. He pushed the disc forward and the boat increased speed. "Really cool." He looked to the side to find Namine staring out longingly at the busy park just beyond the water. "Hey, famingo."

Namine shot him a dirty look, clearly not in the mood to be patronized. "Roxas," she sighed, turning away again, "Enough already. I'm tired and I just want to get off this thing."

"I get that. But I just wanted to tell you something."

"What."

"...I...don't think you should tell Sora." As the words left his lips, Roxas hid behind his bangs. His swollen temple ached and he could sense Namine's bewildered gaze on him now, almost making him shrink inside. "Your feelings," he clarified.

Namine furrowed her brows. "And why shouldn't I?"

The thought paused Roxas. He could not just frankly tell the poor girl "Sora likes Kairi so there's no hope for you" unless he wanted to be labeled the world's number one douchebag. Instead, he scratched his cheek and muttered, "...um, what if...he isn't interested in dating right now? I mean, no offense, but my brother's kind of a dork. A really stupid, oblivious dork."

"Then it's all the more reason for me to tell him. I'm really nervous about it, yes, but if I don't say anything I feel like...I'll never reach him. Then he'll never see me as more than 'old friend Namine.'"

"...Namine-"

"And besides, Sora and I have been bonding really well lately." Namine blushed and smiled, clutching her own hand. "We talk and hang out more, we hug a lot, we're always laughing together-"

Roxas pressed the disc forward, jolting the boat and knocking them both back. "I get it," he grumbled under his breath, "Just...spare me."

Namine rubbed her now sore shoulder. "The point is," she continued with a frown, "Sora and I have bonded a lot these last couple of days. It really helps that we've been friends a long time before that, too, so it's not like we're total strangers." She watched as Sora and Riku's boat violently zigzagged down the river, steering other riders clear from them. Kairi followed not too far behind, riding just as wildly. Namine brought a hand to her mouth and laughed, "I think...he likes me, too."

If it weren't for him half-tuning Namine out, Roxas might have flipped the boat over. The pain in his chest only worsened in agony over his torn feelings of wanting to protect her or to do the proper thing- to support her. No matter how much his mind clamored, no words found its way to his voice. Smothering the knot in his gut, he proceeded to push the disc forward.

"No comment?"

"Why do I need to comment on anything? If thinking he likes you makes you happy then just keep on it."

"..do you...think he likes me, too? Or am I being delusional?"

"I wouldn't know."

"But you're his brother! You must know something about who he likes!"

"That means nothing."

"Roxas!"

"Look, Namine!" Roxas snapped, yanking the disc back and jerking the boat to a stop. "Let's say, hypothetically, Sora _did_ like someone. However, that someone isn't you. Hypothetically. How would me telling you that help you?"

Namine's eyes widened. "We-well, that is...um..." she stuttered, backing away. Before she could come up with an answer, Roxas suddenly lowered his head. She noticed his shoulders were shaking. "Roxas?"

"You're happier thinking he likes you, right?" His chest burned. "So just believe in that. You don't have to keep asking dumb questions to make yourself feel better." It sounded harsh but if she kept talking, Roxas knew he would have really lost himself. He exhaled loudly through his nose, lifted his head, and continued guiding the boat down the river. The rest of the ride went quietly.

They skipped the Bubble Trouble as the ride had malfunctioned earlier that afternoon and by the time they walked to the other side of the park, the sun was already disappearing behind the horizon. Without anything else to do, the friends made their way atop a hill overlooking the park. The other visitors also made their appearance in anticipation of the closing show.

Roxas and Namine did their best to keep a distance from each other, but were forced instead to stand side by side due to the growing crowd. They stole glances at each other and rubbed their bodies uncomfortably. To Namine's relief, Sora popped out from her other side along with Kairi and Riku to the far end. "Glad we caught up to you," Sora grinned, clapping her on the shoulder.

Namine felt the previous tension alleviated and smiled back. "I'm glad, too."

"What's the show gonna be?" Sora looked to the park, squinting his eyes.

"It changes every year," Namine informed and followed his gaze. "Roxas and I haven't been here since _last_ year, so..."

"Last year was an airplane show," Roxas added, "It was alright."

Kairi beamed at this. "Wow, so it's a surprise each time!"

Riku tucked a hand into his pant pocket. "50 munny says it's going to be a trapeez show," he said confidently.

Just as the silver-haired teen said that, a rainbow flurry of fireworks erupted from below and decorated the golden sky. The crowd gasped and cheered happily at the sight.

"Crap," Riku hissed.

"You owe us 50 munny each now," Kairi snickered and gave him a pat on the back. Her eyes found their way back to Sora and, in that moment, her world froze. Sora looked back at her, the lights of the firworks dancing in pools of blue. Though his usually wide smile was absent, she did not mind. The smaller one he now offered felt somehow warmer. Luckily, the sunset's glow covered her blush as she timidly turned away from him and muttered, "The fireworks are so beautiful."

Sora realized what he was doing and turned away as well, cheeks equally red. "Yeah..." he whispered and stole another glance at Kairi. "Beautiful."

Namine, completely oblivious to what was unfolding, placed a hand on her chest and took a deep breath. "Sora..." she began. "I-"

The fireworks flew faster this time, more colors illuminating the looming darkness. Urged to share his excitement, Roxas turned to his side and opened his mouth.

"I really like you."

The blonde boy's mouth hung open, now more in shock than in awe. He curled his fingers into fists, feeling their tips grow cold and tingly. This sensation was not caused so much by Namine's confession as it was by her impeccable timing. As though some cruel force in the universe had imposed its sadistic will, Sora said his confession at the same time. But it was not meant for the person who longed for him the most.

A lump caught in her throat, Namine's eyes were as wide as saucers as her hands fell to to her sides. Before her, Sora stood facing Kairi who looked at him with just as shocked of an expression.

"Sora, what are you..." she gasped, hardly able to finish her sentence. "Since when?"

"I...I like you...a lot..." Sora's voice trailed off as he began to lose courage. He felt as though his heart was about to burst from his chest. "I've always liked you, Kairi."

Kairi's eyes softened, her blush deepening as her pink lips formed a smile. "Sora..."

Riku, having overheard the whole thing, rolled his eyes and smirked. "About time," he whispered to himself as the fireworks continued.

They were barely whispers, but Roxas managed to catch the gist of the situation. As much as he wished the darkness could hide Namine's face, he found that he could not help but shift his gaze to her. The sight broke his heart.

Face and ears lucidly flushed, the blonde girl stood frozen as large drops of tears fell from her eyes. She now kept her own gaze to the ground, desperately trusting her long bangs to hide her pitiful, tear-stained face. "Oh..." came her hoarse whisper, "I-I...I...s-se... I don't-" Her voice broke and her shoulders slumped. The ripped feeling in her chest was unbearable, causing her knees to tremble as her weight pulled her down. Just as she was about to lose herself, Roxas' sturdy arm wrapped around her shoulders, pulling her to his side.

Sighing, Roxas carefully tucked Namine under his arm in the illusion of an embrace, shielding her face from being seen. He then lowered his face next to hers and whispered, "It's okay. Just cry here- I've got you."

As the fireworks danced, Sora and Kairi shyly reached for each other's hands while Riku playfully teased them. They laughed together and Sora gently guided Kairi into a hug. They noticed Roxas and Namine on the other side, also in each other's arms. "I'm the odd one out!" Riku whined jokingly, "No fair, you two!"

Hot tears trailed down Roxas' forearm as he held Namine tighter. "Ahhhh!" she wailed, crying harder, "It hurts, Roxas. I never knew...it could hurt this much. I-I can't..." Her fingers wrung the front of his shirt.

"...yeah, I know." Roxas could only nod as he slowly stroked her hair, remaining vigilant of keeping her face hidden. "It's not fair." In that moment, he vowed never to call her a crybaby again.


	11. Our First Kiss

**The Knight and the Witch**

 _A Kingdom Hearts Fanfiction_

"Is Namine okay?" Kairi's worried voice emitted from Roxas' phone, "I had no idea she was moved so much by fireworks. I'm sorry we made her cry..."

Roxas silently looked over at Namine who sat just across from him, hugging her knees to her chest. Huffing, her eyes darted the other direction. He shrugged and answered, "It couldn't be helped. She is how she is." Then, curiosity scratched at him. "By the way...did any of you guys hear anything...strange..during the fireworks?"

Namine immediately turned to him. "Roxas!" she chided.

"Like...something someone said," Roxas pressed on, "Something really important."

There was a moment of silence as both ends awaited a response. Caught up in the suspense, Namine approached Roxas to listen in more clearly. "Well I confessed to Kairi," Sora's voice suddenly came. Namine felt her heart ripping again, tearing herself away from Roxas' vicinity. However, before she could get any further, she heard, "We didn't really pick up on anything else. The fireworks were pretty loud and all."

Smirking, Roxas simply muttered, "I see."

"It was really romantic," Kairi sighed dreamily. Roxas could imagine her staring off into space and batting her lashes as she said that. "I wasn't expecting it at all."

"Well thanks to you two dodos, we completely forgot about moving our stuff in." Riku's echoing footsteps could be heard from the speakerphone. "So suck it up because we'll be sleeping on the floor until we actually move our beds in."

Roxas chuckled at Sora and Kairi's simultaneous groans. "Alright. Well anyway, I'm heading to bed now so talk to you guys soon. Goodnight." He didn't bother to wait for Sora's affirmation and clicked his phone off, setting it on his table. "You believe me now?" he asked, looking at Namine.

Namine slowly nodded, tears threatening to fall from her eyes. "So..." She turned to face him. "Sora just...really didn't hear me...huh." Her knees finally gave way as she sank to the ground, holding her flushed face. "I'm such an idiot."

"Now that you heard it from the guy himself, go home." Roxas stood from his bed and began tugging his sweatshirt over his head to change. The white shirt caught half way underneath snuck a peek at his structured muscles, but Namine had seen his upper body many times before so it did not shy him from shortly discarding his tops altogether. His hands stopped at his belt buckle before he turned to Namine again. "You're still here?"

"But now I know," Namine muttered. She spoke as though trapped in a trance, just staring at the floor. "Sora likes Kairi. Not me... Do you know what this means?"

"And you're ignoring me," Roxas huffed, "Namine, just...go back to your dorm, get some sleep, and we can talk about your next move tomorrow or something. It's been a long day and I'm drained."

"He just didn't hear me. I wasn't ignored. That means he still doesn't know how I feel... Roxas, I _have_ to tell him! I won't be able to rest until I do."

Roxas rolled his eyes. "You'd be a pretty shitty friend for doing that," he said frankly.

"I know, but..." Namine lowered her head. "I...I won't get any closure unless Sora knows my feelings. It'd be the same as lying to myself forever. At least this way, I'll be able to let him go without any regrets."

"And what about Kairi? You think you'll be able to do that without hurting her?"

Namine paused as though to ponder over his words. Then, with a determined look in her eyes, she concluded, "I won't make a spectacle of it. The last thing I want to do is hurt anyone. If I tell Sora when he's alone, then that should do just fine. He'll finally know I feel, we move on, and all will be right with the world."

He wasn't sure if it was the lateness of the night or his shortening patience, but Roxas felt his gut burn. "Your logic sucks ass," he growled, "Hence, I repeat- Go. Home. I'm. Tired. Shoo!"

"Roxas, wait!"

"What?!"

"...can I stay the night?"

The question seemed to echo in his ears. _'Come again?'_ Roxas nearly asked but, for some reason, refrained from speaking. Instead, he looked at her, bewildered.

A blush tinted Namine's cheeks when she gazed back at him with sad eyes. "Please?" she begged, "I know it's a weird request but...I don't want to be alone. Not like this."

Frustration quickly replaced confusion as Roxas scrunched his brows and ran a hand through his hair. "Are you serious? If I knew you were going to be clingy, we should have just gone straight to your dorm so you can sleep there. Your dad will cut my head off if anyone found you here." He walked over to her slumped form and hoisted her up. "Come on, I'm walking you back." A gasp flew from him when the petite girl suddenly grasped his arm to a stop.

Small droplets of tears trailed down Namine's face. Her heart was swollen from her rampant emotions and she could no longer contain them from pouring out. "Roxas," she sniffled, "Wait, no, I-"

"I said we'll talk tomorrow, come on."

"But-"

"Namine, just...sto-"

"I don't want to be alone." Roxas froze as Namine looked up at him with those pleading, tearful eyes and uttered again, "I don't...want to be alone."

* * *

"And then what happened?"

Roxas blinked back into reality to find Hayner, Pence, and Olette staring intensely at him. The questioning voice belonged to Pence to whom he turned and asked back, "What happened to what?"

"To your friend," Olette clarified, having been invested in Roxas' story. "You were saying that your friend was trying to comfort the girl he liked after she got rejected by her crush? What happened after she told him she didn't want to be alone?"

"Did he confess?" Pence piped up again.

"Why are we even listening to this sappy stuff..." Hayner grumbled to himself.

Roxas glanced between them, still jarred from realizing that he was back in school. It was a weekday. It was the 20-minute early break and he had a Council meeting to get to after. Right. All normal. All real. "Ah, well," he croaked, "He didn't tell me what happened after. Er, but anyway, my question for you guys is...do you think this is an opportune time for him to make his move?"

They immediately frowned. "Of course not, you dingus," Hayner snorted, "The girl just got rejected. She's gonna need some time to get over that. Unless she's the rebound-hopping type, which she doesn't sound like it. Still, going behind her girl friend's back to confess to the guy anyway is pretty messed up."

"It was a long-time crush," Olette agreed gently, "It's not a type of hurt that's easy to mend. Tell your friend to just give the girl some space and she's sure to come around."

Sighing, Roxas could only shrug at their responses. "Makes sense," he nodded, "I'll be sure to pass that on."

Pence then asked the dreaded question, "Who's your friend anyway? Someone we know?"

As if by instinct, Roxas' shoulders stiffened and his eyes widened a tad. In the back of his buzzing head, he had hoped that the obvious question would not be brought to the open. Yet, there the question was, presented to him on a silver platter. _'Screw you, Pence!'_ His index finger pulled at his tie. "Er..erm..." he grunted, "H-He...uh, he-" To his relief, the bell finally rang, to which he abruptly stood up. "Well, sorry to leave you guys on a cliffhanger, but I have a meeting to get to."

"Since when were you so dedicated to the Council 13 meetings?" Pence questioned.

Roxas wished he could throw an encyclopedia at the dense boy, but decided against it as he bid them a quick farewell and exited the break lounge. As he made his way up the stairs, he froze in his tracks at seeing Namine just a few steps above him, heading the opposite direction. They stared at each other like deer caught in headlights, cheeks turning bright pink. As much as he hated himself for it, his eyes traveled down to her lips, noticing they were plumper than usual. They then traveled further down and focused on the thin white scarf wrapped around her neck.

Namine noticed the direction of his stare and quickly brought a hand to her mouth, turning away. "Ca-catch you later," she squeaked and practically leaped down the stairs.

"Whatever," Roxas responded as stoically as he could, but his reddening ears betrayed him. He continued up the stairs, memories of that certain night clawing at his mind.

* * *

Roxas' room was engulfed in darkness save from a glowing lava lamp that sat next to his desktop computer. The bed sat unmade, but empty. A lock clicked.

In the darkness, Roxas carefully moved his hand from the lock and pinned it above Namine's head, trapping her between him and the door. She exhaled softly and looked up at him, her eyes still glistening from the remaining tears. Though, she could have sworn she saw a small smirk tug at Roxas' mouth as he leaned closer to her and whispered, "Are you sure about this? There's no taking it back, you know."

Namine nodded. "Hm," she whispered shyly, "I think...if I know how something like this feels, then maybe...I'll understand my feelings better. For Sora." She nearly choked the name out. "And then I can finally confess to him properly and without any fear."

"Again, your logic sucks ass."

"You can stop saying that now..."

"Ugh!" Roxas grunted, bowing his head. "Just..this is so...twisted."

"I know."

"Yet you're the one who suggested it."

"Technically, you did first."

"...must you bring that up?" He didn't miss the beat of her giggle. For once, he was glad that his room was so dark so she couldn't see how red his face was right now.

Namine brought a trembling hand to his cheek and offered a weak smile. "I like you." She felt Roxas shift beneath her fingertips. His eyes darted to the sides before meeting hers again, glistening like pools of enigma. Her heart began to swell again and a lump was caught in her throat. Shakily, she took in a breath and finished, "Sora." After speaking that name, her eyelids fell shut.

Roxas gazed over her a moment, his chest aching more than ever. His head was screaming against all this, but his heart was in total denial. And he knew it. _'So we start now, huh?'_ "...thank you...Namine." Somewhere, in the pit of his stomach, he could feel that this start was the end- the end of their 'normal' friendship.

Pushing aside any further doubts, Roxas dipped his head and connected their lips. A combination of electricity and fire surged through his body at the contact, a warmth pooling in his abdomen. He dared himself to push a little deeper and Namine gingerly pressed back, whimpering under him. Their first kiss was chaste, but somewhat passionate and spoke more of their feelings than they initially wanted. Shyly, they pulled back and stared at each other, gauging a reaction from the opposite person.

"So that's a kiss," Namine panted weakly, barely able to hold herself up.

"Did you learn anything?" Roxas managed to ask.

Namine blushed. What had she done? She was the one who impulsively requested, shameful to say out of loneliness, that Roxas take on the role of Sora as she practiced her final confession with him. Now, her thundering heart resounded with guilt as she realized that asking to learn how to seal the confession with a kiss might have taken this whole act too far. She felt like crying, but at the same time laughing because admittedly, it felt...good. His lips were warm and his kiss was firm yet gentle. Her heart raced for this boy before her but she knew it was for the reasons of comfort. To ease her guilt, she only had to pretend. Pretend he was someone else.

"Again," she heard herself say. She wrapped her arms around the skater's neck and pressed her lips to his ear. "I like you...Sora."

Something in Roxas snapped. Without even uttering a response, he carried Namine to his bed and sat them down. Speaking became unnecessary as he caught Namine's lips once more. This time, the kiss was more fervent.

Namine could feel the room getting hotter as Roxas coaxed her mouth to open with his tongue. She felt dread at moving to another kiss so soon, but her body, like numerous times before, ignored her head and permitted him inside. A moan escaped her as his tongue explored the enclaves of her mouth and swept under her teeth. Though new to this experience, she reciprocated his ministrations, their tongues colliding and tangling as she angled her head to deepen their kiss.

Groaning, Roxas obliged, moving to bite and suck on the girl's bottom lip. His body moved on its own when he laid her down and hovered over her, cupping her cheek as he heatedly gave their third kiss that night. She was as soft as he had always expected and her jasmine scent drove him mad. One hand dared to graze under her top, playing with her stomach and just under her ribs as the other hand moved from her cheek to the back of her head, entangling his fingers in her silky hair.

Namine reflexively bucked under him, reacting to his electric touches trailing down her sides. She closed her eyes and lifted her chin in ecstasy as Roxas left butterfly kisses along her jaw and down her neck. He sucked and nibbled on the soft flesh there, making her wince at the pleasurable pain. For the first time in her life, her head was so hazy. She often found herself looking up at the ceiling and mentally questioning, "What the heck are we doing?" only to forget those thoughts again as Roxas worked another kiss-and-nibble on her collar bone. Her fingers traced every muscle fiber of his chest, shuddering at how surprisingly chiseled his features actually were. As she explored further, her heart jumped when his abs flexed under her touch, causing him to bite her neck.

Her body was on fire. It was all so new to her, so frightening. Yet, at the same time, it felt strangely natural. Namine let out another stifled moan before finding enough sanity to ask, "Do you think...we'll be the same as before after this?"

All turned quiet. Roxas found himself again and pulled away, looking over her and wiping his lips. Though the lava lamp's light was dim, Namine could see that his eyes were wide and dilated, not making any attempt to avert her gaze.

She knew this silence all too well. It was foolish for her to even ask in the first place. Sighing, she fixed her disheveled halter top and moved away, sitting up on the bed.

Roxas sat in a slump next to her, shaking his head and bringing it down to his hands. "I told you, didn't I?" he said hoarsely, "There was no taking this back." His worst fear had come true. He gave into his feelings and now, consequently, the very girl he had tried so hard to keep by him was going to disappear. And it was all because of some stupid few minutes to feel absolutely amazing.

"I'm not taking anything back."

Roxas lifted his head, looking up at her with a baffled expression. "What?"

Namine also wiped her lips. "This...what happened just now. It happened. I'm not taking it back. But, um, will we still be...you know...friends? Like before? Not awkward?" She played with her thumbs.

A relieved smile spread across Roxas' face as he laughed. It started as a light chuckle and then grew to genuine, refreshing laugh. Namine stared at him in shock, puzzled by his sudden outburst. "Sorry," he breathed, smiling at her, "It's just that...that's what you were worried about? Heh."

"It's a legitimate concern!"

"Namine, we're fine," Roxas assured her, rubbing the tip of his nose. "This isn't anything, okay? Like you said, it's just practice for your confession to Sora." His smile vanished as he said that. "Nothing more so don't misunderstand."

It was Namine's turn to smile as she gave him a light punch on the arm. "That's my line!" she giggled.

His chest felt heavy, but Roxas expected nothing less. In the end, Namine liked Sora and he was just a training dummy. True, he consented so this whole mess was just as much his fault as hers, so he had no grudges to hold against Namine or her love interest, Sora. He smirked and suddenly stated, "You'd better not fall for me though."

There was a pause before Namine's nervous laugh broke through. "As if," she remarked, twirling strands of her hair with her index finger. "You won't have to worry about that." She felt her stomach knot itself and frowned.

Roxas forced another smile, turning his attention to the floor. "...then we're fine."

* * *

The Council room doors opened and in stepped a disgruntled Roxas. The members turned to him, each as stunned as the person next to them. The blonde boy sat himself between Axel and Xion, heaving a sigh at the defeat of conceding to the meeting. His two friends gawked at him but he chose to ignore them.

"My, the world must be ending," Saix commented, "Nice of you to join us of your own free will for once, Roxas."

"...whatever," Roxas grunted.

Saix turned back to the board to resume their discussion only for Axel and Xion to furtively jump at interrogating their grumpy friend. "What's up, Roxas?" Axel whispered, "You never come to these things unless Xion and/or I drag you to them."

"You look like a total mess, too," Xion pointed out, "Did you not sleep the last couple of days?"

Roxas rubbed his temples, suddenly feeling the weight of the bags under his eyes. "Shut up," he grumbled and sat back to stare blankly at the board before them. As Saix droned on about planning Homecoming, images of Namine's sleeping form on his bed replayed in his mind. In the end, she stayed the night just like she wanted. Unfortunately for him, he had to take the floor which was cold, hard, and uncomfortable. Unfair, he knew. But that's what guy friends were for, right?

The Sunday he was free, they had to help his dork of a brother and friends move in to their new apartment. After that, Riku had the brilliant idea to celebrate into the night with a little party. To his luck, it lasted until about 2-3 in the morning. So here he now was- exhausted, messy, ugly, and out of his routine.

Larxene scrunched her face. "A masquerade dance?" she sneered, "That is so cliche."

"It's classy," Marluxia mused, "In fact, I like it. I say- yes!"

"I do like masks," Zexion added to the support.

As the other members cooed about the idea for a masquerade dance for Homecoming, Roxas sat frozen in his chair. The room was buzzing to him and his head throbbed from the lack of sleep. He mentally cursed himself for even coming to the meeting and was about to stand to leave when Xaldin inquired, "What do you think, Roxas? We just need one more vote."

Roxas could care less what they were referring to at this point. "Yeah, do whatever you want," he waved them off. In turn, they bombarded him with more questions to which, in order to appease their curiosities, he simply replied all in approval to.

"So it's agreed?" Saix confirmed.

"Yeah, whatever!" Roxas snapped, now irritated. "I already said yes a bunch of times, didn't I? Sheesh." And with that, he trudged out of the meeting room, grumbling about something being 'awkward' or 'stupid girl.' Axel and Xion stared after him, wide-eyed in disbelief. Obviously, the skater had no idea what he had just agreed to.

"That settles it!" Xigbar announced, "Roxas is the newly assigned host for this year's Homecoming Masquerade!"


End file.
